London Calling
by LoveFangs91
Summary: What will Sookie decide to do when, while living in London, friends from her past turn up unexpectedly and trouble comes calling from back home across the ocean. Big decisions will have to be made again. Is the grass greener on the other side? AU.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampire Mysteries, they belong to Charlaine Harris**

"Sookie!" Arms wrapped around my waist and I laughed, falling back into my friend slightly. With the heels I was wearing we were both lucky I didn't go tumbling backwards, taking them with me.

"Hey, Amelia," I replied, shouting quite loud to be heard over the music. I twisted around her arms to give her a proper hug. There was no point asking how each other was, we wouldn't be able to hear it over the music. "Where's Tara?"

"Bar." Amelia hooked her thumb over her shoulder, indicating which bar in the place our other friend had actually disappeared toward. There was a crowd already gathered around even though the night club had only opened about half an hour ago. It was as I was scouring the crowd, lucking for Tara, when I thought I saw someone. By the time I had registered what I had seen and tracked my eyes back there was no one there, or rather the person I thought I'd seen wasn't there. I shrugged it off.

"Come on you two!" The fourth and final member of our little group, Jo, strutted up to us and grabbed our hands to pull us toward the dance floor. "It's time to dance!" I laughed along, the buzz I had from pre-drinks letting my inhibitions go enough to be able to walk toward the almost empty dance floor.

"Here you go." Tara appeared with a round of drinks masterfully carried. I took my malibu and coke, taking a delightful sip. It took skill to be able to dance properly with a full glass in your hand but we had all managed to acquire the skill a long time ago.

"Thanks." I kissed her cheek before I was whisked away by Amelia. Our song began to play over the sound system and we laughed along. It had been the first song we had danced to on the first night we had met about a year ago at a work function. Ever since then it had been our song.

With our free hands clasped together we danced, letting the music move through our bodies so we didn't have to think about what we were doing. Nothing mattered except for the music and each other. Our hips bopped together with the sound of the drum and we laughed, giggles erupting as we continued to move, singing along even though we couldn't be heard.

"You two are weird." Tara giggled as she came up to us as the song phased out to be replaced by something else from the late eighties.

Linking arms we wandered from the dance floor, dropping out empty glasses off at the bar on our way. We slowly, because we were all wearing high heels, made our way up the curving stair case to the balcony floor where we could grab a booth. The booths looked down onto the dance floor below and were next door to a smaller room which played different music, on Saturday nights it was cheesy songs, mainly from film soundtracks.

"Another round girls?" I asked as they all filed into the booth, their clutch bags going onto the table. The resounding chorus of 'yes' had me high tailing it to the upstairs bar. The main reason we loved this place was that there were four bars in one small venue so you were guaranteed to get served pretty quickly somewhere, no matter how busy it was.

"Here you go." I placed the drinks in front of them and then slid into the booth.

"You okay?" Amelia whisper shouted in my ear as I took my seat next to her. "You seem a little off." Her concern was both sweet and a little worrying; I hadn't realised I was acting off at all.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I thought I saw someone from back home earlier, it must have me thinking." I shrugged it off and took a sip from my drink.

"Must be someone important to have you thinking. Hot?" Trust Amelia to get right down to it.

"Like you wouldn't believe." I replied with a giggle. My buzz was beginning to get a little stronger. I was a total light weight when it came to alcohol. Perhaps the tequila shots I'd ordered at the bar weren't the best idea in the world.

"Well then let's hope you aren't seeing things. I don't see much eye candy here tonight." We collapsed in laughter on each other and it happened to be that moment that the bar tender arrived carrying the four shot glasses filled with, sweet sweet tequila.

"Thanks." I flashed him my best smile since I'd already tipped him for agreeing to bring the drinks over while I was at the bar. "Wait, what's that?" I asked as he slid another glass down in front of me.

"A shot of Southern Comfort."

"I didn't order that." It was probably the most redundant statement I could come up with.

"I know. It was ordered by a guy before you came up here. Said if a beautiful blonde woman with an American accent ordered anything I was to give you that." He grinned at me again and turned away before I could add in anything else.

The drink order really through me off. It wasn't exactly rare for guys to buy me drinks; I'd even had drinks ordered for me from across bars and even once at a restaurant. To be fair, that had been a round for the entire I was with. It was however strange for someone to buy me a shot of Southern Comfort. Not only was it not the typical drink someone would buy for someone, it also happened to originate from my home state, the exact place where the guy I might have seen was from. I was pulled out of my thoughts when the girls started singing the sounds to the tequila song. I was just in time to shout tequila with them and down my shot. Too bad they didn't give out lime wedges here.

"Someone's lucky." Tara called out, indicating my extra drink.

"Yep." Without another thought I picked it up and threw it back, gasping as it hit the back of my throat. "Wow, it's been a long time. Anyway, I'm going back to the dance floor. Anyone coming?" Amelia grabbed my hand to tag along while the other two remained in their seats.

As soon as we hit the dance floor we began to move, letting the music move through us. We'd both brought our actual drinks with us too, even though we probably didn't need them yet. Our shots would be hitting us soon, especially since I'd had two. It wasn't long, less than one song, before two guys came up to us and started dancing with us. Amelia shook them off quickly, not interested in having too much attention since she had a guy waiting for her at home.

"You want another?" She shouted about ten minutes later. Sweat was just about beginning to break out along her top lip from all the dancing.

"Sure. Same again." I handed her my empty glass and continued to move my hips to the beat, singing along to the song. I probably looked utterly ridiculous but I just couldn't bring myself to care. The alcohol had gone straight to my head, taking my inhibitions down further. I was still coordinated to move and my thoughts were relatively straight so it was fine to continue drinking, as long as I took it a little slower.

The opening lyrics of The Clash' _Should I Stay or Should I Go _had just started when a pair of cool hands landed on my hips. I couldn't help but smile. My hips moved with more exaggeration as the guy behind me helped guide my movements. I didn't bother turning around to face him, yet. My eyes closed, keeping the mystery going as I leaned back against his chest, letting my knees sink as I moved downward slightly. His hand moved to my waist, holding me slightly closer for a second before returning to my hips, bringing me back up. I laughed aloud, simply enjoying the moment.

"Should or cool it should I blow," I sang along, the music too loud for anyone to really hear me. I pushed my hips back, hitting is and was once again hit with how tall he was. My inhibitions weren't lowered enough to actually let me dance so provocatively with someone I hadn't even seen. Just as I was about to turn around myself, the hands on my hips propelled me around, spinning me into his chest. My hands automatically extended out, landing on his pectorals.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Long blond hair, ocean blue eyes, strong features, skin the palest I had ever seen and a body to make you drool. Eric really was standing in front of me. I hadn't been seeing things earlier. Someone had meant to send me a drink from my home state. I had no idea why he was here in London and in that moment I couldn't bring myself to care. I jumped slightly, throwing my arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

**So what did you think? This is the start of a new story I'm writing. I'll be completing it, alongside Silver + Wolfsbane, once Can Angels Fly with Broken Wings is Finished (2 chapters left now). Just wanted to see if people are interested. See you in a few weeks or next Friday depending on if you read Angels ;)**


	2. Chapter 1

**This story comes to you with the help of my wonderful new beta lauinia :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own, the southern vampire mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris**

"I can't believe you're here!" I gushed, my arms still wrapped around him. His own arms had wrapped around my waist, keeping my feet off the ground as I jumped.

"Yet here I stand." He replied, talking quietly, but somehow still being heard over the music. Slowly he lowered me to the floor and my hands dropped from their embrace. I still couldn't quite bring myself to stop touching him, my mind thinking that he might disappear again if I did. He grinned, showing off his brilliantly white teeth.

Brazenly I let my eyes travel over his body. Of course he was the exactly same as the last time I had seen him but it had to be done. My brain was refusing to process the information that my eyes were receiving. Perhaps taking everything in would make me finally believe. He was just as jaw dropping-ly handsome as he had been the last time I'd seen him nearly two years ago.

"Come on." I finally shouted and grabbed his hand. I spun on my heel and pulled him across the dance floor, checking behind me every couple of paces just to make sure he was still there. Apparently my brain trusted my eyes more than my sense of touch. I lead him toward the bar near the entrance. It was the furthest point in the club from the speakers and due to the dulling effects of the low ceiling it was the quietest area, with the exception of the restrooms.

"Gah." I stated eloquently when we finally stood together. We were against the back wall, away from the people gathered around the bar. I shook my head and threw my arms around him again, this time his waist. I squeezed him tight, knowing that it wouldn't hurt him anyway. Now that I knew Eric was here, I couldn't believe I hadn't realised it as soon as he had touched me. His cool skin practically burned my heated flesh, throwing me into sensory overload and he was simply so quiet. "God, I still can't believe it." The alcohol was definitely having an effect on me.

"Perhaps I should have come here earlier." I let that comment slide as his arms slipped around my shoulders, holding me in place.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, not bothering to move my face from his chest. He would be able to hear me anyway.

"I am in town on business. I overhead talk of a hot southern belle from some local vampires. I knew it had to be you. A little investigating later..." He trailed off, letting me fill in the blanks of how he had located me here at the club.

"Fuck." I mumbled emphatically, not knowing quite how to get all of my emotions out at once. "I know I keep repeating this but I just can't believe it. You're here, really here, in London for God's sake." I gave his waist another squeeze before finally pulling back to look up at him again. I found something that had changed. His hair was shorter than it had been; instead of shoulder length it was now only a few inches long, still enough to be able to run my fingers through.

"How much have you had to drink?" He asked with a small chuckle.

"Not too much, although that Southern Comfort didn't help." I squinted at him in mock anger before laughing myself. "Wait." A thought suddenly crossed my hand and panic began to fill me. "How long are you here for?" I asked quickly, just wanting to know the answer.

"Until my business is concluded." Evasive, as he tended to be, I took comfort in knowing that he hadn't said tomorrow or even worse tonight.

"Can we talk? Catch up? Do you want to go get a drink somewhere quieter?" I spoke fast, rambling and yet not caring. Thoughts were zooming around my head.

"Yes." It seemed to be an answer to all three questions. "Although I think you had better go and tell your friend first, she is staring this way." I peered around his shoulder and sure enough found Amelia staring over at us. She held two glasses in her hands and appeared to be torn between running over to save me and giving me some space.

"Good point. Stay right here." I added the last as sternly as I could manage. I was still a little apprehensive that he would disappear as soon as I turned my back.

"Right here." With one last nod, more to tell myself that everything would be okay, I scurried over to Amelia. As soon as I reached her I grabbed my drink and took a large gulp, trying to calm my still thudding heart.

"What's going on? Is that who I think it is?" She asked, pulling me in close with her now free hand. Amelia was the only friend here who knew everything about my life back home. It wasn't that it was all a secret but some things were painful to mention so I just didn't bring them up very often.

"Yes!" I squealed in delight and then downed the rest of my drink. "Eric is here. Here is freaking _here _in my city! Don't ask, I don't really know why he's here. I'll deal with everything else later but right now, all I care about is that he's here."

"But didn't you two?" I nodded. "Weren't you almost?" I nodded again. "And then?" I nodded once more.

"We're going to go somewhere quieter to talk. I'll call you in the morning about everything. Will you be okay with the other two?" I still hadn't seen them come down from the booth.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just be careful, Sookie." She gave me a quick hug and kissed my cheek. "Now, don't do anything I wouldn't do!" We both laughed at that. She took my empty glass away and gave me a very awkward little shove in Eric's direction. "Love you and don't forget to call."

"Love you too and I won't!" I called back over my shoulder.

Eric was indeed waiting exactly where I had left him. The only difference was he was now leaning up against the wall, his arms folded and one leg crossing the other at the ankle. Four buttons were open on his shirt, and with his current stance, it was giving me a good glance at his sculpted chest.

"Who is that?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"That's Amelia. My closest friend. You ready to leave?" When he nodded I looped my arm through his and lead us both toward the door. "There's a nice lounge bar come pub down the street. They don't play the music too loud so it should be fine." The brisk autumn air engulfed us as soon as we stepped outside of the doors. I turned left, heading down the street past the tube station which had already shut awhile ago. "How is Pam?"

"As sarcastic as ever. She was actually here for a couple of days until she had to move on to Europe. She wanted to go to a property auction in Paris."

"Wait." I had to force myself to keep walking. "Pam was here? In London and I missed her?"

"Yes. We did not know that you were actually here. We knew your original plan had been to intern in France and then move to London. However, we had no idea if you had actually followed through with it." He shrugged his shoulders and I realised there was no one to blame for this. I hadn't kept in contact with them as well as I should have. With Pam, the time difference had been too much to call and we had both been so busy that emails quickly grew further apart until they eventually ceased. Where Eric was concerned, we had both agreed when I had left that we shouldn't keep in close contact. It would be healthier for me.

"Okay." I let the information sink in. There were so many questions that I wanted to ask. "How long have you been here?"

"This is my fifth night here." We reached the entrance to the pub. I pulled Eric over to one of the sofas which was free although there were a couple on the opposite sofa with which we shared a small table. After checking that the sofa was indeed vacant I sat down. "What would you like to drink?" Eric inquired, not bothering to sit. My mind had been so busy I had forgotten we were here for drinks.

"Just a water please. I don't think I can take anymore alcohol with all of this." He smiled at me and turned toward the bar, pulling out his wallet from his back pocket as he did so. Thankfully, London was a very open minded city and as such the vast majority of places stocked synthetic blood. It was a good thing too as I hadn't contemplated having to go somewhere that sold blood.

I watched him as he waited at the bar for our drinks. It made me both happy and sad, all at the same time, to think that I'd come so close to being able to calling that beautiful creature mine. His hair, although shocking to think it had changed, really did suit him. I say shocking as it had been in the same shoulder length style the entire time I had known him. His charm was as evident as ever; the bartender spent the entire minute length interaction practically giggling with delight.

Confidence oozed from him as he smoothly walked back toward me from the bar. He took a swig from his bottle of synthetic blood and several pairs of eyes turned to watch him. It was like one of the cheesy scenes in movies where the hero captures all attention as soon as he walks into a room. Eric's muscles seemed to dance under his almost too tight shirt with the slightest movement. The clothing had most likely been chosen to do just that job.

"Here you go," he handed me the glass of water and took the seat next to me on the plush leather sofa. I turned slightly in my seat to face him better, tucking my ankle underneath the opposite knee. I even had enough thought to smooth my dress down, making sure I was lady-like.

"Thanks." I raised my glass to him in acknowledgement. "So, how's Louisiana? Has anything changed?"

"Bon Temps is exactly the same as the day you left; I doubt the town will ever change unless it has no chance." I laughed at that statement knowing that it was probably very true. "Shreveport continues to grow and New Orleans is getting back on its feet. I started a small hotel chain there." I know I shouldn't have been surprised with his new endeavour, yet I was.

"Really? Tell me more." My brain added in the repeat of that line as found in the song _Summer Nights_.

_Yep, alcohol definitely still in the system._

"It is a simple hotel, people state that it is full of Southern charm. It is one of the main reasons I am in London. There is a hotel here I am interested in purchasing for refurbishment. It shall be the fourth in the chain and my first outside of the United States." There was no bragging in his voice, he was simply stating facts.

"That's really cool, Eric. I know this probably won't mean a lot, but congratulations. Knowing you, you worked hard with them all. Where are the other two sites?" I was genuinely interested and my other questions could wait. I should probably start writing all my questions down so I didn't forget any of them.

"I have one in San Diego and the other is in Orlando." I bit my lip so as not to laugh at the image of Eric in the sunshine state.

"Do you still have Fangtasia?" I asked, thinking back to the bar where we'd first met, quite a few years ago. A lot had changed since then and pretty much all of it had been for the better.

"Of course." Fangtasia was his 'baby', not that he would ever actually refer to it as such. The vampire bar had been his first venture after the vampires came out of the closet, so to speak, and had been his most successful enterprise. Although it seemed now his hotels had taken over. "What are you doing now, Sookie?" His deep voice saying my name was like heaven to my ears. My name just wasn't meant to be said with an English accent.

"Lots of things." I paused to take another drink and he raised his eyebrows, encouraging me to continue. "My main job is working for the vampires here." I didn't want to elaborate in public, even though I didn't believe anyone was paying us attention any more. "However, I also run a sponsored blog on the American life in London. I'm also trying my hand at other writing styles; a little bit of fiction and I freelance for a couple of newspapers, though nothing major. Oh, and I run two book clubs for two small stores."

"You never could get away from the vampires." His smile showed more than happiness yet I couldn't quite figure it out.

"Yeah. Apparently I have a reputation that precedes me. There was a French group that wanted me to work for them while I was over there. But, by the time they had figured me out fully I already had plans to leave. Besides, I couldn't talk to them without thinking about a certain violin playing, flamboyant, vagabond of a blond vampire. It gave me the heebie-jeebies." Eric laughed, deep and loud. I had to join in with him. "When I got here I didn't really hide, there didn't seem to be much point. I just put my foot down on some ground rules."

"Do they treat you well?" His question surprised me.

"As well as you lot ever did." I smiled at him, showing that I was, mainly, joking. Once Eric had gotten to know me he hadn't been unkind. In fact, I had considered him a true friend, with feelings running deeper. Of course, in the beginning he had been just as selfish as the rest of the vampires.

"Touché." He raised his glass bottle, clinking it carefully on the side of mine.

"So," I started out. I took a deep breath and almost wished that my buzz was as strong as it had been when I had been dancing at the club. I was about to ask a question that seemed paramount to me and I had no idea how I would really feel about any answer until it was said. "Anyone waiting for you back home?" I took the band-aid approach to asking. At least if I got straight to the point it would be over with quickly.

"No." I actually sighed and found out that I was relieved. My feelings for Eric hadn't been stirred in a very long time ago and I had thought I had moved on. I had definitely had a couple of boyfriends since then. "Pam takes great glee when she is able to bring her girlfriend over." I could just imagine Pam parading around her partner in front of Eric. "And you?" The way his eyes bored into me I had a feeling a lot rested on my answer for him too.

"No." I was grateful that it was the truth. A few weeks ago and it would have been a different answer. Yet, more things for me to stew over later.

"I had to wonder when I saw that you were at the club with just a group of girls." The bell behind the bar rang signalling last orders. "Would you like another drink?"

"No thanks, I'm fine." I still had half of my glass left and it was only water after all. Eric's bottle was empty yet he didn't bother to get another. "Do you want to meet up again while you're here?" I sincerely hoped that he'd say yes. It would be horrendous to have him dangled in front of me and snatched from my grasp without being able to spend any time with him.

"Yes. I do have some business to conduct, hence the trip, but in spare time, yes." I grinned at him, my happiness clearly showing.

"You know what, stuff it. The night is young, for you at least. Where about are you staying? Local?" I hoped so. My brain was getting carried away. I hoped he was staying local so that I could accompany him back to the hotel bar, which being a vampire friendly establishment would remain open until dawn. It would give us more time to talk. I hadn't realised, not in a long time, how much I missed his company, how much I missed Eric.

"I am staying down on Piccadilly."

"The Ritz?" I couldn't help the gasp I let out. It definitely wasn't local. Piccadilly was approximately two and half miles away in a straight line, five if you had to go via the roads. At this time of night that would be a very expensive taxi journey.

"Yes. How did you guess?" His brow furrowed. It's true that Eric wouldn't have chosen that hotel himself as it was too flamboyant for his style.

"You said Pam came with you. It may not be up your streets, but it definitely suits Pam. You couldn't be bothered to move when she left?" I asked for confirmation. It was something he had been known to do previously.

"Yes, and she may be joining me so that we can catch the same flight out of London. It depends on how long we each have to stay in the respective cities." I nodded in understanding. I could just see Pam choosing the most florally decorated suites just to annoy Eric. It didn't escape my notice that he said Pam might be coming back to London. However, I didn't dare to get my hopes up that I might be able to see her soon.

"If you do not wish this night to end, I can accompany you to your." He paused, waiting for me to fill in what type of home in which I currently lived.

"Apartment."

"Apartment. It will be easier for me to traverse across London late at night than you. Safer as well." It was true that he wouldn't have to bother with a taxi or the night buses.

"That sounds good." I took a final sip of water and placed it on the table. "I don't have any blood in but there's a twenty four hour newsagents around the corner. We can grab some for you if you want on our way."

"It sounds like we have a plan."

We walked out of the lounge with my arm threaded through his once more, even though I was leading the way. The path we took retraced our steps from earlier until we got to the same large intersection near the tube station. The newsagent was on the next street, the back of the club actually backed out onto here, about a hundred metres further down from the shop. Eric insisted on buying his own refreshments, as I had thought he would. While he paid my mind wandered into what we were doing.

Bringing Eric back to my apartment was probably inviting chaos back into my settled life. The question wasn't whether I was going to allow it, I obviously was, but rather did I care? I clearly didn't care enough to stop it. I would just have to wait and see how I felt after it arrived. I knew I wouldn't regret it, not since it meant I got to spend time with Eric.

We had a complicated past, that was for sure, however we had parted on good terms. Neither one of us had been lead on and we knew I was leaving. In those first few months, while I was in Paris, I had often wondered how things would have worked out if I had stayed. Eric had always encouraged me, once he knew me as a person, to follow my passions, so I had left. The decision had already been made before we had become close that I was to go to Paris and then likely London.

"Lead the way. Where do you live?" I laughed when I realised he had never actually enquired as to where I lived. My reaction to where he was staying probably informed him well enough that it was close to here.

"Near Regent's park. It was advertised as having a park view. It's true, occasionally. If you stand out on the roof, which is more of a balcony to my flat, stand just right and the weather is good, you can just about make out the park."

"If that is so, why did you choose that apartment?" His voice had honest intrigue. We were back at the intersection and this time took the only street we hadn't already been down. The street, which seemed to be made up mostly of letting agents once we got past the cinema, lead toward the zoo, and therefore the park.

"Because it's quirky and interesting."

"Just like you then." I nudged him in the ribs for calling me quirky even though it was entirely true.

"Exactly, although my friends added in the interesting. I just said quirky. It's a one bedroom place essentially in the attic. My place seems to be an addition to the building and it's a little larger than the flats on the floors below. It takes up half the room. I have French doors that lead out onto the flat roof and I have furniture out there. It means I can enjoy the sun, whenever it deems this country worthy enough to shine."

"Is it as rainy during the day as everyone says?" I glanced up at the sky. Currently it was beautifully clear, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, yet the stars still weren't visible.

"No, now don't get me wrong you always have to carry an umbrella but it's not that bad. Although there is one thing," I trailed off, still staring off at the stars. In my head I was years ago and thousands of miles away staring up at a similar sky, except stars decorated the darkness.

"What is that?" Eric glanced up at the sky and a frown furrowed his brow.

"There are no stars here. I miss stars." I tried to recall whether I had ever seen the stars in Shreveport and couldn't remember if I had actually taken the time to look up at the sky. I could remember clearly sitting out on the porch, or even lying back in the grass in front of my Gran's house star gazing.

"It is the same in most cities that are this bright at night. People say that New York is the city that never sleeps. In truth, many cities never sleep these days. With all the brightness of artificial lights, the stars are not visible to most eyes." He brought his eyes back down to the street, gazing around.

"Wait, you can still see the stars?" I gaped at him, my mouth hanging open in a very attractive expression.

"Not in London. In Shreveport yes. It all depends on the brightness of the city, how badly it is obscuring the light of the stars." Jealousy flared up in me. I hadn't seen the stars properly in over six months and that had been while on holiday on a Greek island.

I stumbled over on my next step. The heel of my shoe stuck between two flag stones, sending my ankle twisting when I tried to take a step. "Ow, crap." I called out, probably a little too loudly. I dropped my arm from Eric's and swept down to a kneeling position to pull my heel free.

"How do you manage in this city with shoes like that? There are far too many cobbled streets in this country, never mind this city." I stared up at him while rubbing my already throbbing ankle. It didn't actually feel sprained, just sore.

"You don't like London. No, wait, you don't like England?" I had known Eric had spent quite a bit of time here in the past few centuries, hell even Pam was English. It didn't make sense for Eric to hate this place.

"No. Personally I like it well enough, although it is no USA. There are some quaint towns, some brilliant places to explore in London but not everything is exactly practical. How is your ankle?"

"Painful." I stood up and took a tentative step in my heel. My ankle held but there was definite pain in the joint as soon as I put any weight through it. I would have to take my shoes off to be able to walk properly. "Ruddy duck it." A smile spread over Eric's lips. "You're going to have to carry me." Before Eric could respond, I unbuckled the ankle straps on my heels so that I could slip them off. I pulled the strap of my small bag over my shoulder and grasped it, along with my heels in my left hand. "Okay. Come on then."

"You have changed. How much of this is the alcohol talking?" He didn't deny me however, and quicker than a blink I was in his arms, bridal style. My left arm, carrying my stuff, trailed down while my right snuck around his neck.

"I'm not sure," I laughed. "Amelia has made me one hell of a lot more confident."

"I think I would like to meet this Amelia friend of yours." His face close up was even more handsome than I remembered and I couldn't help staring at him. Even in the dim light from the street lights we occasionally passed under, I could see every detail. His proud nose, high cheek bones, slightly dimpled chin and beautiful blue eyes all came together for the most drop dead gorgeous face I had ever seen.

"You two would probably get along just fine. She reminds me a lot of Pam. I wouldn't like to see those two fight. I don't think anyone in the vicinity would be safe. Oh, you need to go left at this intersection. Second right and second building on the left."

"So you travelled across an ocean, to a different continent and found your own Pam?" His eyes were sparkling at the thought.

"Not exactly, they're similar, not the same. I don't think the world could handle two of Pam." I laughed, more from horror, at the prospect.

"Even I do not think I could handle two. One gets me into far too trouble as it is." There were some stories there that I wanted to hear, but we were nearing our destination so they would have to wait until later.

"How are you finding life in London?" Eric asked as we started to walk down the main street toward that second right.

"I love it for the most part. Vampires here have boundaries because I set them and made them sign a contract for my work. I have my friends, my work and the city. I love how there is something different around every corner. It's more of lots of little towns smushed together. Like Covent Garden is a couple of minutes walk away from Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and only a little further from Oxford Street. All of those things are so different. It's brilliant for exploring. Not to mention all of the take out places."

"Door code?" Eric had indeed walked to the front door of my apartment complex.

"Double seven, nine eight." He punched in the digits and then turned around smoothly, backing into the building so I wouldn't have to curl up to fit. "Elevator code is thirty four." I really didn't know why they bothered with a code for the elevator considering the door to the stairs were right next door and there was no security needed to access those. "Top floor." As soon as we were in the elevator Eric relaxed back against the back wall, holding me a little closer to his chest. "You're still comfy," I told him honestly.

"Thank-you, I think." He chuckled in reply. Once before he'd had to carry me. I had been running through the cemetery at the back of my house and had tripped over a fallen headstone. I'd managed to break my ankle. Luckily for me, since I didn't have my cell phone on me, Eric had been nearby and had come to my rescue. He'd carried me all the way to the hospital that night.

"It is a compliment. I don't let just anyone carry me." I relaxed further back into him, letting my head fall back onto his shoulder.

"I should hope not. That would be asking for trouble. Would you like to know something?" The elevator dinged as he finished speaking.

"Of course." I searched through my bag for my house keys. You would think with the bag being so small that it would be easy to find anything. However, just like any woman's bag, it turned into a little bit of a TARDIS. I finally found the keys after taking out the little bit of make-up, that I carried for touch ups, when we reached the door. "Here you go." I handed over the keys.

"We have not had to change bartenders at Fangtasia since you left." He grinned at me, his eyes twinkling with his teasing. I slapped his shoulder in retaliation. "You know we went through four bartenders in eighteen months while you were around."

"They weren't my fault! I may have discovered two of them were doing things a little illegally, but the other two, nothing to do with me at all. Oh, and would you please come on in." It should be enough to give him an invite even though I wasn't technically inside. Anyone could invite a vampire in if they were inside the house but the owner could invite them in from most places. I had also gotten my answer about invitations and flats; they could access the main building as it was communal but couldn't enter the individual flats.

Eric somehow managed to open the door without even jostling me. He kicked the door shut as he stepped into the small entry way. Without being asked, I was perfectly willing to walk now that we weren't on the horrible streets and I could have walked as soon as we got into the building, he walked me over to the couch. Once there he set me down softly.

"Thanks," I told him, giving his arm a squeeze. "Kitchen's through there if you want your blood." I pointed behind him even though it was perfectly visible due to the open plan nature of my apartment. The living room, dining room and kitchen were all connected into one space. The bedroom was separate, leading off from the living room and the bathroom was en-suite from there although there was a separate door that lead to the rest of the flat. "I'll be back in a minute, I need to put on something more comfortable." I was actually talking about something more comfortable as the tight bodice of my dress wasn't really suitable for relaxing. There were a pair of sweatpants in my room calling my name.

"Would you like me to carry you?" Eric asked, turning around just before he reached the kitchen area. I laughed loudly at his smirking leer which he followed up with a chuckle of his own.

"I think I'll make it on my own." It was only about seven feet from the sofa to my bedroom. My apartment might have been small but I still found it pretty perfect for myself. "Just keep yourself busy." I heaved from the sofa and tested my ankle with a small step. It held out and the pain was a lot less than it had been right after I had first twisted it.

Five minutes later I joined Eric on the sofa, where he was sitting already drinking his bottle of blood.

"More comfortable?" He asked sweetly.

"Definitely." It didn't escape my observation that his eyes trailed over my body. I hoped it was appreciative. It probably wasn't the best thing to do, to change out of a dress that I knew I looked good in, into pyjamas. However, I knew I didn't look horrendous. The yoga pant style sweats made my ass look good and teamed with the tank top I was still showing off my figure.

"Guess who I saw three weeks ago."

"Who? And thanks." I added, lifting up the glass of water that had turned up on the coffee table. It seemed he was trying to sober me up. There probably would have been a cup of coffee there if he knew how to make a good cup.

"Adele, your Gran." My eyes went as wide as saucers.

"Really? She didn't say anything about seeing you." I tucked my legs up underneath me, sitting up taller on the sofa.

"She did not see me. I was waiting to have a conversation with a certain vampire we both hate as he exited from a Descendents of the Glorious Dead meeting. Your Gran came out first."

"How did you she look? Did she look well?" I hadn't seen my Gran in almost a year. She had visited once while I had been over here, just as I was moving from Paris to London so she could see both cities in one trip. She had loved to visit but she couldn't handle the long haul flight very well. So far I hadn't made it back for a visit even though I had been talking about it for awhile now.

"Yes. She appeared as healthy as I have ever seen her." A little tension left my body that I hadn't even known I had.

"I speak to her every couple of days even though it's difficult with the time difference and our completely different schedules. She can't figure out skype so I only see her when we can schedule something for Jason to be over there too." I knew I was rambling but I just didn't care.

"You managed to convince your Gran to get a computer?" He sounded surprised.

"Yes. She can't use it very well but she knows how to email. I usually get about five a day. I didn't even have to mention anything to her, she made me go with her to buy one the day before I left. Jason was the one to show her as much as she knows."

"That is very forward thinking of Adele. She really adores you."

"It seems so. She suffered through so much in her life, losing a husband, a son and a daughter in law all in quick succession. She raised me. She wants the best for me and supports me but I know it's hard on her."

"I remember attending your going away party, at your insistence." It had been a very interesting conversation with Eric to convince him to attend and had even needed me to employ my feminine wiles. "It was not just your Gran that found it hard when you decided to move away. Rather it seemed to be everyone in your life." I couldn't help but wonder, possibly even hope, that there was something more to his words that he wasn't saying. I was probably just reading too much into it.

I changed the conversation, not wanting to put too much of a downer on the night. Instead, I brought up something he had mentioned earlier so that we could do one of our favourite pass times; Bill bashing.

"How come you were waiting for Bill? I thought you had as little to do with him as possible." Eric didn't hide his hatred from anyone, least of all Bill.

"I had the great job of delivering a message to him from Sophie-Anne."

"No sarcasm?"

"No sarcasm. She had finally had enough of Bill's schemes so she sent orders for him to move from the state. I got the job, since I am sheriff of his area, to kick him out of the state."

"Seriously? Bill got his marching orders?" I was back to sitting up tall again.

"Yes. He left three nights after I told him. He is not allowed to set foot back in Louisiana." A broad grin lit up Eric's face, showing how happy he really was with this new situation.

"Please tell me he moved far, far away."

"North Dakota."

"Perfect! So I won't have to worry about running into him next time I go home?"

"Not at all. You have plans to visit Bon Temps?" I couldn't read the tone in his voice.

"Not really, as such." My excitement once again subsided and I got comfortable again. I stretched out on the sofa, letting my legs rest across his. As soon as I was settled his hands dropped down to rest on my bare ankles. His cool skin against mine felt wonderful. "I want to but I just haven't found the time."

"That is a shame." He seemed to speak the words with complete honesty.

"What's this? Eric Northman missed me?" I teased, poking his side.

"Things were certainly more interesting when you were around." It wasn't a confession but it was the closest thing to one I was going to get.

"That wasn't my entire fault. I'm still involved with vampires here and not nearly half as much crap happens." I defended myself. My hand, which appeared to have a mind of its own, had continued to touch him, and was now resting against his arm.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself." He grinned at me. He set his mostly finished bottle of blood down on the table and turned toward me. I noticed the small gesture of running his tongue over his teeth to get rid of the blood. If I hadn't known it was a habit of his I wouldn't have noticed.

"It's the truth!" I retaliated, poking his bicep this time. He grabbed my ankles, yanking me down on the sofa. A girly squeal left my mouth as my head hit the sofa cushion. "I swear it's the truth!" I said again, this time earning me his hands trailing further up my legs. Quickly his hands left my legs and began to assault my sides. His fingertips danced along my ribs, lightly, tickling me. Laughter erupted from my lips uncontrollably.

"You mean to say that you save all trouble for me? There was barely a quiet moment when you were home." His face hovered above mine, a smile lighting up his eyes. "You never gave me any peace." His fingers continued to dance. My body contorted up into a ball, my legs flailing out as I wriggled, trying to get away from him. How he managed to avoid getting kicked I had no idea and didn't particularly care.

"Stop!" I cried out. Tears ran down my cheeks, spoiling my vision. I could still see his outline and I managed to line my foot up with his abdomen so that I could kick out. The unexpected motion sent him tumbling back against the arm of the sofa. As soon as his fingers left my ribs I regained control of my body properly, the laughter stopped. I sat up quickly and pounced forward, determined for revenge. My knees landed either side of his hips, and I sat down, pinning him as best as I could. I was under no foolish doubt that he would be able to get away if he wanted to, I just didn't think he would want to move. "I said stop!" I pushed on his shoulders with my hand keeping him back against the sofa arm when he tried to sit up.

"What, pray tell, do you think you can do about it?" He grinned up at me, looking the most delectable I think I had ever seen him.

"I was thinking about this." I smirked at him for a second, letting him think over what I was saying. Then I leaned down, pressing my lips against his and moving my hands to the side of his face. Our kiss was everything I had missed. My mind had even dulled the memory, meaning that it was even better than I had remembered. Something was ignited within me. I couldn't get enough of him.

Soon enough the buttons of his shirt were opened. Some buttons were even snapped off, they went zipping across the living room with a ping as they landed, in my haste. Eric didn't seem to care. My movements gave him encouragement to reciprocate and he wasted no time in letting his hands roam. As soon as his shirt was open I pushed back the material as far as I could. I didn't bother pulling on his shoulders to get him to move, that would have wasted too much time. Naked was best but it wasn't necessary yet. There was time for slow later.

I was forced to break our kiss for a moment to pull down my sweats. As soon as they were in a heap on the floor I returned to my original position, kneeling across Eric's lap. I couldn't resist placing a kiss on his chest, letting my lips linger slightly. Eric was being far from passive, even as he let me take the lead. His hands were busy on my body, exploring everywhere. Even though he already knew me better than anyone else, it had been a long time.

"Fuck," I whispered against his skin. "I had forgotten what we could be like." Even as I spoke my hands were busy working on the buttons of his tight black jeans.

"Forget about the past. Feel now." He captured my lips in one more searing kiss.

His hands worked down to my inner thighs just as I got the last button undone on his jeans. He guided me upwards, making the contact disappear between us. It gave him a few inches to thrust upward, enough to be able to push his jeans down to his mid thighs.

"Slow will happen later." He told me, staring into my eyes, letting me know it was a promise. At least he was thinking along the same lines as me.

Without anything more, I closed the distance between us, taking him within me as he thrust up again to meet me.

"Oh," I moaned out. It seemed the heat between us wasn't the only thing my memory had dulled.

"Fuck, Sookie." He guided me down to his level with a hand behind my neck so that he could kiss me.

It was brutal and quick, yet it was exactly what we needed in that moment. We both went tumbling into bliss, barely minutes later. I came back down to earth as I collapsed against his chest, my breath coming out in gasping pants. I was still wearing my tank top and it was now clammy with sweat. Blood thundered in my ears as my heart fought to get enough blood everywhere that my body needed.

"Is it just me," I panted, not yet able to lift my head from his chest to look up at him. "Or was that better, even better than expected?" All he did in response was to laugh, causing his chest to vibrate with the motion.

"Look at me." I finally lifted my head to look at him. My action was met with another kiss. His fangs were down and I let my tongue explore along the dangerous points, teasing us both. "Hmm. Hold on." I had no idea what he was planning on doing but I did as I had been told.

With a grace that humans would never master, he sat up, keeping me pinned to his chest. I was barely jostled. He then stood up, taking my full weight as though I weighed nothing. To him I didn't. I locked my hips around his waist and my arms around his shoulders so that I wouldn't slide down his body. I felt more than anything the motion as he smoothly kicked off his jeans. His arms left my thighs for a second as he pulled off his shirt which fluttered to the ground to meet the other items. The only article of clothing that stood between us was my vest. Trusting him, I let go with my arms and quickly as possible, I whipped it over my head, throwing it away from me. As soon as it left my hands, my arms were back to clinging to Eric's broad shoulders. He began to walk toward my bedroom. Within a few seconds we were at my bed and we tumbled down, Eric's arms protecting me from any damage, even though I landed on my back.

"I believe it is time for slow." He whispered directly into my ear before his lips got busy once more.

**So what did you think? As I did with Angels, I'll be updating every Friday from now on. I want to say a big thank-you for everyone who reviewed the prologue for this and to the people who reviewed as guests as I can't reply to you. Thanks and see you all next week,**

**LF91**


	3. Chapter 2

**Big thank-you to my awesome beta lauinia :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own, the southern vampire mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris**

"Lover, wake up." A deep voice insistently whispered in my ear. I became aware of cool fingers tapping gently along my shoulder blade. "You need to wake up." I pulled the duvet further underneath my chin, snuggling down into the warmth. "That will not work." I could hear a laugh in his voice.

"Sleep." I retorted and squeezed my eyes shut in the vain attempt that he would let me sleep a little longer. I couldn't have been asleep for more than a couple of hours.

"Lover, you need to wake up because I need to leave." His words finally got my attention and I rolled over slowly onto my back, and tugged the duvet down a little so no more than my eyes were showing. "That is better."

"When you say leave," I started out but couldn't quite bring myself to finish. We had discussed meeting up again before he left London but we hadn't actually made any plans. Considering what had happened last night, or rather this morning, I didn't know whether he would still want to meet up again.

"I have business to attend to tonight, however tomorrow night I have nothing planned. Would you like to entertain me again?" Eric lay on his side, his arm, bent at the elbow, was working as a pillow for his head. The duvet was pushed down to his waist, showing off his toned abdomen and chest. On one level, I could take the words as him asking for just another hook up, however there was something telling me it wasn't quite only that.

"Sounds pretty good," I smiled in return.

Eric grinned back at me and leaned over to capture my lips with his. I didn't need a mirror to tell me that my lips were a little swollen. I wrapped an arm around his waist, holding him in place for a second against my still naked body. Reluctantly he pulled back after teasingly pulling my bottom lip with his.

"I have to leave, the sun will be up in less than half an hour and I need to get back to my suite. I shall be in touch with details." He gave me one more sweet kiss and then rolled out of the bed. He was completely unashamed about being naked in front of me. He practically strutted out of the room, giving me a wonderful view of very toned ass. Until I had met Eric I had never really appreciated a man's ass. Then again I only had two other people for comparison. There wasn't any competition.

A minute after he disappeared from my room I heard the front door open and close. Eric had really left. Despite the lack of sleep I was suddenly wide awake. I was no longer worrying that he wasn't really here it was more that I was worried that what we had shared last night would become just a memory, like all of the others.

I hadn't even realised that I planned to call Amelia until the phone was already in my hand ringing.

"This better be fucking good." Amelia's gruff voice told me she was in some pain. I glanced at the clock and found it wasn't quite six in the morning yet. I hadn't even gotten two hours of sleep. Lord knows how much Amelia had gotten and how much more she'd had to drink after I'd left.

"Morning, Amelia." I was already feeling guilty about calling her so early.

"Sookie!" She suddenly seemed much more awake. "Hold on a minute, Tray is kicking me out of the bedroom." I heard her whispering something to her live-in boyfriend. "Okay, you better start talking Missy, I'm putting my coffee on."

"Well, as you figured out last night, Eric is in town. He's here on business for the next week or so."

"Blah, blah. What happened after you left together?" She made me go through all of the details which pretty much turned into a touch by touch account. It took a full cup of coffee to go through everything. "So what are going to do now?" By this point I was sprawled out on my sofa, the television playing mutely in the background.

"That's why I called you. We made plans for tomorrow night, sort of."

"Is that wise? I mean you don't want to get hung up on him again. Do you know how long he's going to be around for anyway? You said a week or so."

"I don't know, he says he's not entirely sure. I wasn't really hung up on him, not as badly as you think." So I was lying to myself as much as her. I was falling for the guy, I don't think I actually fell for him fully. I loved him more than Bill, but _had_ my love for him fully changed from platonic to romantic or was it stuck somewhere in the middle? How can I possibly get that close to him again in a week?"

"Whatever you say on that one. A lot can happen in a week. It seems like you've already made your decision. Perhaps you just needed to talk it through."

"I don't think I really have a choice. I can't say no to seeing him again. I can say I'm not going with the intention of sleeping with him, but that'd probably be a lie. He was a really good friend to me back when some shit hit the fan. I like to hang out with him. We have a chemistry together that I've never found with anyone else."

"You sure it's not just sexual chemistry?" Amelia laughed.

"Not just that. There's something else. I simply like him." It sounded a little pathetic to my own ears.

"Well then, you've definitely made your decision. You need to see him some more, make the most of the time you have while he's over here in London. Just be careful okay?" Genuine concern was coming through in her voice.

"I will." I could promise to be careful, I couldn't however promise what would happen.

"You'd better be. I love you, Sookie. No matter what, and no matter how stupid you end up being, I'll still be here for you."

"Thank-you, Amelia. I love you, too." I really did love her. She was my best friend and the closest I'd been to anyone that wasn't family. She knew my deepest darkest secrets and pretty much everything that had happened to me.

"I know. I'm amazing, you can't help it." We both laughed at that. She wasn't anywhere near as selfish as she made herself out to be. "Anyway, I'll see you at book club this evening." With that she hung up the phone, leaving me alone with my thoughts and to track down some breakfast.

By the time I got back to my apartment that night I was well and truly dead on my feet. I hadn't had the chance to nap as I had planned. As usual, I had taken a walk around Regents park, near the canal where all the herons were found, to think about the contents of my blog. My contract, for sponsorship, only stated that I had to update at least three times a week. I usually managed to update most days, but I made sure there were at least three substantial updates.

My plan for this week was to reveal more about my history and the events leading up to my departure from Louisiana. It definitely helped sculpt the person I was today and that impacted on my writing. I spent more time than usual writing in the park. When I couldn't ignore my grumbling stomach any longer and made it back to my apartment I only had twenty minutes before I had to head off to the book club.

"What the hell?" I asked aloud as I stepped in front of my front door. I plucked the post-it note from the wood. A British mobile number was elegantly written across it, underneath was an elaborate letter E. It appeared that Eric had been by at some point. "What am I doing?" I asked the empty corridor. I still wasn't entirely sure about my decision; I just didn't know what I was opening myself up to. What I'd told Amelia was true, I just didn't have the will power or want, to say no. "Oh, well." I added. I tucked the piece of paper, which of course had the Fangtasia logo on it, into the back pocket of my jeans.

"Tina!" I called out once the front door was safely shut behind me. My adorable cat came scurrying out from wherever she had been hiding. Her black head appeared, peering around the corner of the sofa. I shook my head at her antics. She was checking to make sure I was coming home alone before she came out properly to greet me. "Come on, my little girl." I placed my things carefully down on the table and then bent down to her level, holding my hands out. When she was sure it was just me, she silently padded forward. She immediately started rubbing her head into my hands as soon as she reached me. "There we go." I scooped her up into my arms, which she let me do. As soon as she was tucked into my chest ,she began to purr contentedly.

"Silly cat." She had refused to come out of hiding this morning even after coaxing. I hadn't been entirely sure what I would find when I got back. "Let's get you a snack." I found her box of goodies in the kitchen, she had her own little cupboard, and grabbed a handful of meaty treats. "There you go." I scattered the treats along the floor and let her go. I watched her daintily eating for a few seconds.

Tina was adorable and I loved her dearly. She was my connection to home. With a black face combined with a white button nose, white socks and tip to her tail she was perfect, to me at least. Her quirks only made me feel more for her.

Eventually I let her be and went to grab my purse. I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text message to the number on the post it note. After it had been used, I stuck it to the refrigerator, not entirely sure why I was keeping it.

It wasn't particularly late, but I was completely wiped out from the combination of a busy day writing and lack of sleep the previous night. Half an hour after I'd walked through the front door I had collapsed in bed with a cat snuggled up against my back. I'm pretty sure she would sleep on me if I let her, which I didn't. There was enough cat hair continuously stuck to me without allowing that to happen.

I became aware of an incessant ringing sound lifting me up from a peaceful sleep. I had no idea what time it was, and no desire to find out. When a pillow held over my head didn't blot out the annoying noise, I finally relented and reached across to my night stand for the causative agent. When my hand grabbed my phone, it clicked in my sleep-filled head that it was the phone ringing.

"What?" I asked, not caring who was on the other end. I had been in the middle of a very good, dreamless sleep. I didn't care how grumpy I sounded. In fact, the grumpier the better. At least the culprit might get an idea about how displeased I was. The local vampires had quickly learnt not to bother me when I was working during the night, unless it was some form of emergency.

"Well, good evening to you too." Eric's deep voice greeted me on the other side. Instantly, I was a little more awake, although my mind was still clinging to the hope of getting more sleep.

"Do you know what freaking time it is? I was sleeping!" My indignation quickly turned to more of a whine.

"It is a little after three." I couldn't contain my huff.

"Okay. I am not built for this time of day. What's up?" I tried sounding a little more spirited. I don't think I quite made it. His chuckle just made my frown grow deeper.

"I was calling to see if you still wished to meet up tomorrow night." I have to admit that prospect did make me open my eyes. My head was still buried underneath the pillow though, so it didn't do any good.

"Of course." That time I did manage to infuse some pep into my voice.

"Good, I hoped so. Would it be okay with you if I planned a surprise?" My mind immediately went down the gutter and I found myself hoping for a clothing-less surprise. A naked Eric would be a very good present.

"Sure, just nothing too outrageous. You'll also have to tell me what to wear." The pause before he answered told me his mind hand gone somewhere dirty too. I grinned.

"Wear something warm, we will be outside for awhile." That wasn't entirely what I'd had in mind.

"There's no point asking what we're doing is there?" It didn't escape my notice that he already knew what we were doing which meant he'd made plans. He wanted to see me too. If I'd been awake and standing up, I would have done my happy dance.

"None at all. I shall see you tomorrow evening. For ease since this city is ridiculous for driving I shall meet you at Tower Hill station at seven thirty."

"That sounds good. I'll see you then." I almost started saying goodbye. "Wait. One more thing, you said wrap up warm. Casual or dressy?"

"Fairly casual." Didn't particularly help all that much.

"Great. Thanks." I let all my sarcasm seep into the words. A chuckle told me he knew exactly how annoyingly vague he was being.

"Do not worry. You will look beautiful no matter what you choose to wear. I shall see you tonight at seven thirty." With that he hung up, not bothering with an actual goodbye.

"Goodnight, Eric." I added to my cell phone.

When I awoke, it was barely still morning and I grinned at how lazy I was being. It just didn't happen all that much anymore. Usually when I slept in this late it was because I'd been up the majority of the night working for the vampires. It was definitely refreshing being able to do it just because I wanted to and didn't need to. However, basking in my laziness didn't last long when I realised I only had about eight hours before I had to leave for my date with Eric.

I filled those hours doing absolutely everything and nothing all at the same time. I baked some peanut butter and blueberry cookies, to calm my nerves. Of course they also became by breakfast and lunch combination. And snack. When I'm nervous I bake, and then I eat, and then bake some more. Some of my best and worst creations have come out of my nerves. They all became famous in my blog, and the disaster stories were by far the best received by my readers.

After baking I took a long bath and got absorbed with my book. When the water started to turn chilly, I let out some water, and topped it up with more hot. By the time I was finished my skin was as smooth as it had ever been and I don't think I'd ever been cleaner. I was pruned to the point where it was starting to get uncomfortable, but I just couldn't bring myself to care. The bath had distracted me from worrying.

An hour before I needed to leave, I was standing in front of my closet in my underwear, rifling through all of my clothes. I had finally stopped enough to actually let my thoughts in. I couldn't quite believe I was going out on a date with Eric. In fact, I still couldn't quite believe everything that was happening. Eric had surprised me at Shake, then we had spent the night together. We had agreed to spend some more time together, yet somehow I hadn't anticipated that it would turn into a date, mainly because we had a very limited amount of time together.

"Crap," I muttered, putting all of my emotion into that word. "Screw it." I wandered back to the kitchen and grabbed myself a large glass of red wine to help calm my nerves. I would have had something a little stronger, but I didn't want to turn up drunk. "What to wear, what to wear."

It was the time that finally made me decide. I simply didn't have a moment to try anything else on so I went with what I was currently wearing and high tailed it out of the door, calling a hasty goodbye to Tina over my shoulder.

I made it to Tower Hill station with only about a minute to spare. I was standing on the escalator, on the right hand side; I didn't want to walk when I felt someone standing a little too close. Living in London, I got used to people invading almost every inch of my personal space; you just couldn't avoid it during rush hour on the tube and the escalators leading to them. This person however was different, I could feel them with every fibre of my body yet my mind came up blank.

"Hi, Eric." I said quietly, knowing he'd be able to hear me. Not a second after I'd spoken his hands rested on my hips over my thick coat. Even with my heels and being on the next step up, he was still the same height as me and I was able to relax back slightly into his chest.

"Good evening, Sookie." For some reason it amused me greatly that Eric was getting the tube. I wasn't entirely sure how I expected him to get around a city that was definitely better suited to public transport than the sports cars he loved. I made a note to remind him to go take a trip to Park Lane so that he could admire some cars. Hell, even I enjoyed looking in the windows when I was walking past. Winter Wonderland would be opening up this weekend too. "How are you? Sleep well?" I could hear the amusement in his voice. We reached the top of the elevator and I lightly slapped his shoulder when I could.

"No thanks to you. And it wasn't even in the good way!" I laughed when his eyes got slightly wider. It was nice to know that I could still surprise him. "I am good thank-you, and I slept in very late. How are you? Did you get everything sorted that you wanted to yesterday?" I swiped my Oyster card onto the reader and walked through the ticket barrier, where I waited slightly to the side for Eric to join me once more. When he too was through, having produced his own Oyster card from somewhere, he held out his arm slightly. I took it, letting my arm loop around his elbow to rest on the soft leather covering his forearm.

"I shall have to make it up to you. I am good, although not everything is sorted. These things take time and my lawyers are working on it. Some paperwork was signed yesterday after going through it, but some work still remains." I couldn't help but do a little internal happy dance at the news that Eric would be around for at least another couple of nights.

"So, what are we doing?" We had exited the station and were now on the mainly quiet streets of East London, walking towards an unknown destination.

"I am afraid you will just have to wait a little longer to find out." I sighed, and gave in, knowing there was no point in pressing him for answers. In my entire life, I had only met a few people more stubborn than I could be and Eric was the top of the list. "You look beautiful tonight." His eyes ran over my body, although I was covered to upper thigh by my coat; he had said to dress warm.

"Thank-you, and not so bad yourself, mister." It was true, then again Eric didn't really look that different most of the time. Tonight it was dark gray jeans slung low on his hips and fitting delightfully snugly across his ass. The black boots and leather biker jacket completed his usual look. It was simply Eric and the style fitted him perfectly. I also happened to be one of the few people that had seen him in his slouching gear of sweatpants and flip-flops. The first time I'd seen that, I have to admit that I had laughed, a lot and loudly.

I pulled my gloves out of my coats pockets and slipped them on. I had no idea if we were heading inside any time soon and I preferred to prevent the cold than warm up after. Coming from the South, I didn't tolerate the cold particularly well, especially London weather. Sometimes it seemed that all of the seasons had merged together and you had a few days of sunshine followed by what felt like months of winter.

"We are nearly there." We had only walked a couple of blocks, but sure enough up ahead I could see a group of people congregating. Everybody seemed to have dressed warmly, so I felt better knowing that I correctly picked my outfit. I had ended up walking out of the flat in my tan leather ankle-high boots with a thick three inch heel, teamed with blue skinny jeans, a white scooped neck shirt and my pea coat.

I loved my coat, I had bought it in Paris, one of the last items before I moved to London. It was thick, perfect for winter, tan coloured and double breasted. The bit that made it stand out for me were the toggle style buttons in a deep chocolate brown.

"We're going on a Jack the Ripper walk?" I asked, completely surprised. I had been on one last March and had thoroughly enjoyed it. Although we hadn't met here but rather outside of Whitechapel station, so it wasn't the same walk.

"Yes." His eyes were a little wide again, obviously he had hoped to keep me guessing longer. "How did you know?"

"I went on one awhile ago and we walked all around this area. What with the people gathering around and stuff..." I trailed off, not sure how to finish.

"Promise me something." His tone was light, so I agreed quickly. "Always keep me on my toes. It is never boring with you around."

I grinned back at him. "That I can promise."

"Good." He quickly kissed my temple and we remained quiet for the rest of the walk.

The Ripper walk was fascinating, even if I had heard most of the facts before. It was interesting to hear everything from a different perspective and I didn't just mean the tour guide. Eric gave me the true version of events, whispered into my ear for only me to hear. While we walked between the different locations my fingers were entwined with his in the front pocket of his jacket. When we stood listening to the guide he was behind me, arms around my waist, holding me close to his chest. I thought, several times, that we had quickly fallen back into our old ways with each other. It was so comfortable to be with him.

The story of Jack that Eric told me was pretty terrifying. A vampire had gone rogue and was slaughtering women to show the new vampire leaders that they couldn't control everyone. England had just adopted a new hierarchy system, the one that was still used today in the USA and the UK. Of course there had been opposition to it when it was first brought into place. This had been the worst of the protests.

The vampire in question, who was actually named Jack, had started out in London. Between murders he'd travelled to nearby towns and cities to kill more innocent people. It was his attempt to show the vampires that their new system couldn't keep everyone in check. He was finally caught by the vampire Sheriffs of London and was sent to face the final death. The human police had gotten some things right; he had a knowledge of human anatomy. During his former life he had been a healer for his people and after he became the un-dead he had continued his education. He had also taunted the police, sending part of a kidney along with the From Hell letters. Apparently Jack also thought it was a fantastic idea to show case vampires although that hadn't panned out at all. I also found the real reason for all the Jack the Ripper evidence going missing over the years; it had been confiscated by the vampires so that no one would ever find out the real truth. Even now, after the vampires were pretty widely accepted, it wouldn't go well to have one of the most famous serial killers in history named a vampire. Tensions between species would definitely rise again.

"Would you like to go for something to eat?" He asked as we walked back toward the tube station. His arm was draped over my shoulder, holding me close to his side while my own was snaked around his waist, underneath his jacket. The cold had gotten to me about half an hour before the tour had finished. Even though Eric didn't have body heat to help warm me up, it still made me feel better to snuggle into his side.

"Sure," I replied. Honestly, I was quite hungry. When he said he had a surprise for me, I had anticipated ridiculously difficult to get reservations at a prestigious restaurant. It was part of his MO. "Where do you have in mind?" Of course Eric didn't eat, but he quite enjoyed watching me do so. I had always wondered whether it was something special about me or whether it was just a vampiric fascination since he hadn't been able to eat in over a thousand years. He turned his head and grinned me. "Let me guess, it's a surprise."

"Is there any other way?" His grin turned into a smirk.

"Not usually," I sighed, feigning more annoyance than I actually had. Although Eric loved his surprises, they were rarely anything to worry about. He had been surprising me with plans for almost as long as I had known him. Even while I had been dating the loathsome Bill, and had been truly just friends with Eric, he had been known to surprise me. From night time go-karting, to Mardis Gras in New Orleans and even a trip to Florida to watch a space shuttle take off. Looking back, Bill might have been right to get a little jealous.

We had walked back to Tower Hill station and thankfully, since it was starting to get late, it was even quieter than it had been before. I took careful note of the direction we were travelling. When we switched to the Northern Line, with Eric's hand in mine guiding me along, I had a feeling I knew where we were going. Leicester Square was a fantastic place for food. There were lots of restaurants on the square itself, let alone around the theatres nearby and China Town was just around the corner.

"I have one question," I asked as we walked arm in arm out of the tube station at Leicester Square, turning left. I was betting on China Town. He gazed down at me, curiosity in his gaze. "How the hell do you know where you're going so well?" He chuckled in reply at first. "It took me freaking ages to get used to everything, I always used to be checking the map." Of course I pretty much had an in-built map in my head now and never thought about my route. I simply went to the station and got on a train.

"This is not my first time in London, Sookie." When I continued to look at him he added more. "I have been here plenty more times than when I unleashed Pam on the world for all eternity." That was probably a good way to describe the force of nature that was Pam. "She likes to come back and see what has changed. For about sixty years we came back every decade or so. I lived here for six months in the late nineties." I had to assume he meant the nineteen nineties so that it explained his knowledge of the tube system. "It was not practical at the time. That is when I set up permanent residence in Louisiana."

"Oh." A brilliant reply, but my brain was processing all the little bits of information he had just given me. There was so much I still didn't know about Eric and I doubted I ever would.

"Do you happen to have a favourite?" We were indeed in China Town, the main street. There were still plenty of people milling around, heading into restaurants and enjoying food. The late showings at the various cinemas wouldn't have let out yet, so there were still hours of business to enjoy.

"Not particularly." If I was honest, most of the restaurants around here merged into one. They were all good. We walked down the street until the scents travelling through the cracked door of one restaurant drew me in. Spices hung in the air and made my mouth water. "This one?" I asked, already looking for the little sticker that would be somewhere in the window if they served synthetic blood. It was an unspoken rule that any vampire friendly establishments would discretely advertise that they sold blood. I found the little red sticker in the bottom left corner.

"Sure." Eric, being very gentlemanly, pushed the door open and guided me through this his hand on the small of my back. "Table for two." He told the waiter, who came rushing to our assistance.

"Please, follow me." The restaurant was small, like most of them were, but plenty of tables were crushed into the room. The waiter lead us up the wooden stairs to the second floor which was considerably quieter. All of the tables up here were small and it was obvious that this was where the couples were seated to give them more privacy from the families downstairs. It was definitely quieter.

"Thanks," I told him taking a seat. Eric gracefully sat down in the chair opposite me.

"Can I get you anything while you peruse the menu?" He spoke to me, I assumed because he had managed to pick up on the lack of Eric's heartbeat.

"Sure, I'll take a Budweiser and a bottle of O negative?" I ended it in a question, for Eric, wondering if it was still the synthetic flavour he preferred. He nodded his head, a small smile on his lips.

"Coming right up, if you need anything just give me a shout." He walked away quickly after a parting grin.

"Things never change." Eric told me, a smile that I couldn't quite place on his face.

"Huh? That I remembered your drink of choice? I was a waitress for years remember." I opened up my menu and started to read, although I was pretty sure I already knew what I was going to get.

"No. Do not get me wrong, it is nice to know you remembered. I was referring to the waiter. Or rather, wait staff in general." I quirked an eyebrow, wanting further explanation. "We do not seem to be able to go anywhere without someone wanting to disrupt our time together." What he was saying finally clicked in my head. I couldn't help but giggle.

"Him? He's just being friendly. He'd actually prefer you." I may have good control over my telepathy, but I always checked out wait staff to see how they were feeling. I preferred to be prepared if we were going to get poor service or risked a sneezer if we said anything. "He was just a little thrown off with you not having a pulse and he fancied his chances were better with me anyway. He wants a nice tip." I added.

"My point still stands." Eric relaxed back into his chair since he had now removed his jacket. He was wearing a tight black t-shirt with flecks of lighter grey enhancing the colour. It showed off his muscles perfectly and the sleeves hit him mid-bicep, making his arms look even bigger than they were.

"More people prefer you." It didn't bother me. I had grown used to it a long time ago. Eric had an air of confidence about him that couldn't be hidden and it made people turn to him. There was no getting away from it so I had made my peace. It hadn't actually been too difficult to do as I had gotten used to it when we were friends. He never acted on anything, at least not when I was around, so the transition to when we were together was smooth.

"I would not say so." I glanced up in time to see his gaze trailing over my torso appreciatively. I laughed at the movement that was so typically Eric.

"Okay." I couldn't be bothered to argue.

We ordered my food as soon as the waiter came back with our drinks. By that point, there were only three other couples left in the upper level seating area, which gave us a little bit of space. The food was delicious, as was usual for China Town. It was while I was tucking into my desert of ice-cream that something clicked in my head. As soon as it did, I had to wonder how I hadn't put everything together previously.

"You were in London at the time of the Ripper murders!" I blurted out, probably a little too loudly. Luckily no one turned around to glare, too preoccupied with their partners. Eric's face lit up with a smile.

"I wondered if you would figure it out." His story about the real Ripper hadn't made me suspicious that he been here; any vampire with an interest in their history would probably have known. It was the dates that made sense. Pam had been turned in 1888, I didn't know any more than the year, in London by Eric. All I had known in the past was that he had rescued her from something and that she would have lived in an area similar to Whitechapel after her family quickly spiralled down the class ladder.

"Just, what?" I asked, flabbergasted that I hadn't figured out anything before or even thought to ask.

"Pam will not mind me telling you, in fact I am surprised she has not told you the full story before now. She finds it amusing how we started out." I nodded along. When Pam was first turned, she and Eric had been a couple, for lack of a better term. They were impeccably close due to being maker and progeny. Their relationship had started as sexual, although it dwindled over the years for various reasons, until it turned into the mutual respect they shared now. Despite their bickering, or full on fist fights, they loved each other, even if they wouldn't readily admit it aloud

"I was in the UK during the time that the new hierarchy system started up. I was actually a Sheriff in the North, looking after a large chunk of the country. I was called down by the Sheriffs looking after London to help them. I was older than them by several centuries and so more powerful. At that point, they had no idea what they were up against.

I arrived in the city the night that the double murders were discovered. Three weeks later, I was stalking around Whitechapel, and the surrounding areas, when I heard the unmistakable sounds of someone being beaten. When I investigated, I was just in time to see a vampire disappearing around a corner. I did not give chase, knowing that he had too much of a head start on me.

I saw Pam crouched against the side of a building, barely able to hold up her head. She had been the intended next victim. Later I would find that she was not the typical tradeswoman that Jack went after and that she had refused to accompany him into the privacy of a nearby alley. It saved her life, for an extra hour anyway." He chuckled at that. It may have been weird to be laughing about someone's death, but it is a completely different circumstance when the person becomes a vampire instead. Plus, Pam loved being a vampire.

"When I knelt down beside her to check how close to death she was, I got a slap for my troubles. She told me in no uncertain terms to leave her alone and to never bother her again. I could smell the blood of Jack on her; under her nails from scratches and even across her knuckles. She had definitely given as good as she was able. I was fascinated.

I grasped her wrists, ignoring the expletives spewing from her mouths. The glare she uses now on breathers is carried over from her mortal days. Of course, it did not work on me. I gave her the choice of continuing with her current life, or she could join me. She asked me who the hell I thought I was and that she could show me the way to the nearest asylum. Next, she realised I was telling the absolute truth and asked for details. I turned her that night. We spent the night in her old family plot in the cemetery, near where her family used to live. The rest you know."

"I still can't believe it. One more question." I didn't bother waiting for him to agree. "How did you catch Jack?"

"We were wandering around Spitalfields, myself and Pam. As my progeny I was teaching her how to use her new abilities. All she could do was complain that the stench of London was even worse with enhanced senses. We happened to come across a familiar scent, purely by chance really. The local vampires still were not entirely sure of the identity of Jack. We followed the trail to Dorset Street where Jack was busy mutilating. It was far too late to save the woman. As soon as he realised he had been caught, he tried to flee. I caught him, bound him and dragged him to the bar run by the local Sheriff. They got their answers and Pam got the kill since she had been his intended victim."

"Wow. So Pam was the person who brought the most famous serial killer to his final justice."

"Yes."

"I can't believe it. Damn, I've been saying that a lot lately." Just as I finished speaking the waiter came by and left the bill wallet on the table that we had signalled for. The wallet was in Eric's hand, away from my grasp, before I could even think to reach for it. Eric pulled out a wad of money, slipped some inside and handed it over to the waiter. He managed to do it all within a couple of seconds, the waiter was still gathering our empty glasses.

"Would you like to see the Ritz?" The waiter's eyes bugged out at the mention of the hotel. Sneakily he peered inside the wallet and his eyes bugged even further. I smiled at him, letting him know that no mistake had been made.

"Sure." I stood up and turned to the serve who was finally just walking away. "Thanks!"

"Not a problem. You two have a good night."

The journey to the hotel was quick. We walked back to Leicester Square and hailed a cab. As soon as we were seated next to each other the gazes and touches began. It started out innocently enough with Eric's arm around my shoulders, holding me to his side. Of course, I just happened to rest my hand on his thigh. I think the only reason things didn't progress was due to the amount of clothing I was wearing.

When we pulled up outside the Ritz and a doorman opened the door for us, I was in a little bit of shock. I had walked past the hotel several times and even pondered what it would be like to go there just for kicks. The price had squashed that notion very quickly. I didn't get much of a chance to take in the luxurious lobby since Eric rushed us through, straight to his room in one of the vampire friendly suites. Essentially the only difference was the sun-proofing, otherwise they were exactly the same as the normal rooms.

"Oh my god." I said as soon as I walked through the door to the room. The next second I fell about giggling at the thought of Eric staying in here. The furnishings looked as if a flower show had exploded over them. The suite was perfectly Pam and precisely the opposite of Eric. "This is ridiculous!"

"I am glad you find it funny." He locked the door behind us, making sure the chain was across too. The staff were of course forbidden from entering any vampire room during the day but you could never be too careful. When he was finished, he came to stand behind me, pulling my coat from my shoulders gently.

"Oh god, I love Pam. Only she could get away with this."

"Nearly true. I think you would have been able to get away with it too. You always found a way to make things up to me." Now that my coat was stored away, he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me to lean back against his chest. A blush rushed to my cheeks at his meaning.

"Maybe, but I would never have subjected you to this. I don't think I would have subjected myself to this. Are all the rooms like this?" My only look inside the hotel was decidedly underwhelming.

"Not at all. I actually like the hotel, and have chosen to stay here before. Pam just happened to chose this suite. I am quite fond of the other deluxe suites."

We both fell quiet then, just enjoying the moment of being close. It wasn't long before his hands began to trail along my torso until they came to rest on my hips. His mouth swept along my neck, trailing little butterfly kisses across my skin. My head fell back onto his shoulder, giving him better access. In the next blink I had been spun around to face him. I pulled myself even closer, my arms stretching around his neck as my hands tangled into his hair. I could feel just how much he enjoyed having me here.

"Take me to your room."

My hands couldn't stop tracing his skin. I was currently swirling patterns across his chest with my index finger. I was snuggled into Eric's side, pressed up against him, with one leg between his. When I had tried to roll over, his arm around me had tightened, preventing me from moving. He accompanied the movement with 'you are not going anywhere, I have more plans for you'. It had made me do another internal happy dance.

"Will you stop that?" Eric asked about a second after I had heard him hum in appreciation.

"No, I like to do it." I swapped to a different pattern. The corner of his mouth flickered upwards in a half smile for a second. "I know you like it too. You can't hide it." He opened one eye and mock glared at me; his lips had turned up into a full smile.

"Fine, but it is entirely too pleasurable." His eye snapped closed again and his face went back to a serene mask.

"What's wrong with that?" I stopped the patterns to run my entire hand along the impressive muscles of his chest, even dipping down to feel his abdomen. He could put gladiators to shame.

"Usually nothing. However, I am having a hard time not ravishing you, again." I laughed.

"Again, I repeat, what's wrong with that." I rested my chin on his chest, looking up into his closed eyes. He looked like he was basking.

"There is nowhere near enough time for what I want to do and for what you deserve. So I am going to be good." I couldn't stifle the giggle that erupted from my mouth. The idea of Eric being good, as in well behaved, especially when in the bedroom, was entirely impossible. He hadn't been known to keep his hands to himself, ever. Sure when we had been friends he hadn't tried anything too seriously, but he had still tried.

"What time is it?"

"Fifteen minutes to dawn."

"Oh. Well, what are you doing tonight?" I was being very forward again, but since we were on such a tight schedule, I couldn't be bothered with being demure.

"I have an early meeting with my lawyers, and then we are going to the new hotel with a contractor. It is just a formality so he can sign up to come up with some new plans for the refurbishment. I should be free by midnight." His eyes opened slowly to gaze down at me. I hadn't moved from where I rested on his chest; I was essentially lying on top of him.

"Cool, I'll be free later on if you want to come to mine again?" I made it a question, although I was fairly sure of what his response would be. "I'm working for the vamps at a club. You could join me if you want to meet up earlier."

"Hmm." He agreed, although to what I wasn't entirely sure. I was beginning to lose him to the sun. Although he could stay up into daylight if he needed to, it wasn't something he particularly enjoyed. All vampires, whatever their age, are pulled into sleep at roughly the same time, it is when they wake that changes with age. I made a mental note to text him the details since I wasn't entirely sure how much attention he was paying. "You can stay as long as you like. Breakfast comes with the room, so just order room service if you desire." He surprised me by where his thoughts led him. I had fully intended to at least take a nap before heading home so it was good that he expected me to stay.

Suddenly he rolled over, taking me with him. His arms had wrapped around me so that I wouldn't fall. The motion was so fast that I almost squealed with shock. It was only because we stopped before I could take a breath that I didn't make a sound. We were on our sides, facing each other. One of his arms was still tucked around my waist while the other was underneath the pillows.

"Good morning." He placed a sweet kiss on my lips and another one on my nose.

"Good morning." I replied as I rolled over so that my back was against his chest. Sleep enveloped me just as strongly as Eric's arms did and I was soon fast asleep. I didn't even make it to the moment when Eric fell into his vampiric sleep.

_Rage boiled through me. I couldn't believe Bill. I mean, I knew he was ridiculous and quite probably a little slimy, but to stoop to such a low level. I was beginning to come to terms with the fact that our relationship had run its course, even before I had walked in on that monstrosity. There wasn't enough brain bleach in the world to un-see what I had witnessed in that house and I had seen my fair share of repulsive images. _

_I stomped through the trees toward home. Thankfully Bill hadn't been stupid enough to try and follow me, although that did mean he was still back at the house with that woman. I wasn't entirely sure which was worse. _

_At first, I hadn't been sure what was going on when I reached his house. I had walked, since it was a nice evening, to surprise him since I had not had to work the extra shift after all. What I hadn't expected was for the surprise to be on me. There was an unfamiliar car parked in the driveway, which had raised my suspicions. However, since Bill did freelance computer work, it wasn't too surprising. The front door had been unlocked and just inside was a pair of very expensive stiletto shoes. At that point, I had become angry. It was also around then that I heard the unmistakable sounds of a couple having sex. I had wanted to turn around at that point, saving myself from actually having to see. I knew that it was two vampires in the house now. However, I hadn't been so lucky. As my gaze lifted, just before I turned around, I came across the sight of Bill's pale ass in the air as he thrust into a mostly unseen woman on the kitchen floor. _

_It was my gasp of shock that finally alerted them to my presence. It turned out I did manage to surprise Bil,l if his very wide eyes were any evidence. I hadn't bothered to stick around to hear his protests which were already forming on his lips. _

_"Fuck off and stay away," were the words I had uttered to him. A second later I had slammed the front door so harshly that my hand stung. That brought me to my current situation of stomping through the cemetery that separated our houses. I was so angry that I couldn't even begin to feel upset. All I needed was to get back to the house and grab my purse before my Gran got back from her dinner with Mrs Bellefleur. She didn't need to see me like this and she definitely didn't need to know the finer details. I had two people I could realistically call. Pam and Eric. I wasn't sure which way round was best. Pam would be straight into making snide comments about Bill, and making a plan for vengeance which would undoubtedly be despicable. Eric would give me a shoulder to lean on and get everything out before the snide comments and plan for revenge came about. The plan would probably be even more deplorable. _

_"That little fucker!" I fumed. I was still seeing red, which was why I think it happened. One second I was storming along and the next I was on the ground with unbelievable pain shooting up my leg. "Fuck!" I grasped my ankle and immediately knew what was wrong. I could feel bone in places where bone shouldn't have been, or at least not in that position. I hissed against the pain. _

_I was in a cemetery, about equidistance from two houses; one held a man I would happily not see for the rest of my existence and the other was empty. It didn't seem like help would be coming any time soon. _

_"Sookie?" A deep voice called out in the darkness and my heart immediately soared. Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I bit my bottom lip in an attempt to not let the pain take me. _

_"Here!" I practically whimpered, even as Eric came into view. He was the most beautiful thing I could wish to see in that second. _

_"What happened?" He asked as he knelt beside me in the grass. His hands instantly went to my cheeks so that his thumbs could wipe away my still falling tears. _

_"My ankle." It didn't occur to me until much later, when some good painkillers were on board to ask why he had been out in the cemetery. He had been on his way to spring me free from work and take me to Shreveport. Apparently he and Pam had tickets to see the ultimate vampire rock band. The little bit of my blood than ran in his veins had alerted him to my pain the second it had happened. Quick use of his other vampire skills had allowed him to find me. _

_"Fuck," he mumbled, yet still full of emotion. He quickly let loose with some choice words in a language I didn't know. I didn't need to understand it to know he was cursing. "We need to get you to a Doctor. My blood will not work." I figured as much since my bones weren't in line. Taking vampire blood now would just cause them to heal out of place. "I will be as gentle as possible but this may hurt." I nodded, knowing that I would need to move. Having him here would already make it less painful than having to drag myself back home. "Hold on." I wrapped my arms tightly around him and buried my face into his neck so that I could breathe in his scent. To me he smelled of safety and that was what I needed. Eric's arms slid around me, one at my back and the other under my knees. Swiftly, yet smoothly so as not to jostle me, he stood. He kept me pulled into his chest so that I wouldn't move, not that I planned on doing so. _

_Twenty minutes and a lot of pain later we arrived at the hospital in Shreveport where Doctor Ludwig worked. As soon as she spotted Eric's blond head walk through the double doors into the ER we were whisked through into a private treatment room. About a minute after I had been laid out on the white hospital bed a cannula had been placed in my arm to give me sweet pain killers. The pain was dulled to a throb and a shooting sensation up my leg if I so much as twitched. _

_With no explanation as to where she was going, we were left alone. I would never forget the worried expression on Eric's face as he paced beside the bed. I held out my hand trying to tell him to stop his movements; he was making me more worried. Instead of simply stopping, he gracefully sat in the plastic chair beside me and grasped my hand in his. _

_"How did this happen? I thought you were at work." So I told him the entire story, leaving out none of the gory details. _

_"I could kill that stupid bastard." Venom dripped off every word sending a chill down my spine. _

_"No, you won't. If anyone is going to get killed, which hopefully won't happen, it'll be me that ends his undead life. But thank-you for the offer." I squeezed his hand. _

_Dr Ludwig chose that moment to come back in with a nurse, who appeared to be some form of supernatural. They explained what would happen and I told them to just get on with it so I wouldn't worry. I was given a sedative, more painkillers and nitrous oxide. Then they snapped my ankle back into place. It was blinding pain that made me wish for death for one second and then pretty much nothing. Of course there was still a dull ache from all of the tissues that I had pulled, probably even torn, yet it was still pretty much instant relief. By the time they had put my leg in cast so that it wouldn't luxate again and to support some hairline fractures, the sedative was starting to wear off. _

_The rest of the night was one big haze. Eric returned me home, but refused to leave until nearly sunrise. It was the only time I'd known him to keep his hands in respectable areas without being told off at least once. I took some of his blood to speed up the healing process, though I didn't remember actually sucking the blood from his wrist. It did however, happen to be the first night that I kissed Eric Northman on the lips, so all in all it was the worst and one of the best nights I'd experienced. _

_I awoke at some point in the night to feel strong arms wrapped around me. For a second I panicked, thinking that somehow Bill had ended up in my bedroom. However, as soon as I took a deep breath I recognised the person as Eric. He had an altogether different presence to Bill, even though both of them were blank to my powers. _

_"How are you feeling?" Eric whispered in my ear. _

_"Weird." It was the truth. I felt floaty due, I assumed, to both the blood and the painkillers. At least I wasn't actually in any pain, although I was uncomfortable. I had fallen asleep at a funny angle and there was a crick in my neck. "Thank-you for staying, you didn't have to." His arms pulled me up slightly so I was more sitting against his side rather than spooning with him. _

_"I needed to make sure you were okay. I was not about to leave you, especially after all the revelations of the night." That last bit made me think. _

_"Did you know about Bill and that woman?" I still didn't have a clue who she was. _

_"No, although I admit I had my suspicions. I just did not think you would appreciate me voicing them." It was true; I wouldn't have believed him. I would have just taken his words as him slandering someone he hated. How Eric felt bout Bill wasn't exactly a secret, which riled Bill up even more about our odd friendship. Of course, it didn't matter anymore. _

_"Good point."_

_"There is something I have wanted to do for awhile now. I did not, due to respect for you being in a relationship, even if I do not respect Bill." My heart started to gallop in my chest as his words sunk in."It would be my biggest regret if I never got to kiss you." _

_His hand reached up to my chin, tilting my head toward him slightly. My eyes fluttered closed, just as his lips touched mine. At first his lips were a gentle caress that I willingly gave back. I felt his smile for a second and then he kissed me again. There was more passion this time, a heat that told me just how much he'd been holding back. I kissed him back, gripping his shirt tightly with one hand while the other wrapped around him. His tongue against mine let me feel for the first time what people meant when they said they saw fireworks. All too soon he pulled back and simply held me against his chest while my lips tingled. _

**So what did you think? I learnt something new this week - in vet medicine we use the term catheter for everything (any tube going into a body vessel), while in human medicine it is catheter for urinary and cannula for intravenous access.**

**I hope all of my American readers will have a very good 4th of July. I know I'll be celebrating with cocktails and American style food in London. Sadly no fireworks. **

**Thanks to the guests that reviewed, I just couldn't reply to you guys personally. **

**Until next week, **

**LF91**


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own, the Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris**

**Big thanks to my wonderful beta Lauinia**

The next night, I was feeling surprisingly refreshed. I had slept most of the day away, which was probably a big part of it. I had made it to the bar a little earlier than I needed to, however I had thought it necessary. I hadn't been to this particular establishment in quite a while and I wanted to reacquaint myself with the layout, just in case. The perks of being at the club for work meant that I walked straight through the door without having to wait in line, I didn't pay the entry fee and my drinks were supplied free of charge.

"Make it a virgin this time, George." I told the bartender. I didn't want to get drunk as it affected my powers, but I had to be seen to be drinking something or people would get suspicious. The diet coke was quickly placed in front of me with a smile and the bartender left me alone. He knew better than to distract me too much when I was working.

My mission tonight was quite a simple one, especially by vampire standards. A pick-pocket or two had been operating in the bar and a reputation was beginning to develop. I was listening for anything that might be happening and was to alert the security staff if I found anything. The vampires wanted to stop the thievery before numbers began to drop. This I could handle. All I had to do was mingle with the crowd, or even just stay seated at the bar and let the minds of everyone wash over me. I had learnt the skill of filtering by doing jobs such as this, so my mind would alert itself if I heard some key words or even saw something odd.

The club really started to fill up as midnight drew near and I paid even more attention, if that was possible. I'm pretty sure to most people I looked like I was sleeping as I sat at the bar, sipping on my coke. I didn't hear anything from any potential pickpockets although, in my opinion, I did something better and stopped a girl getting her drink spiked. She never knew what she had avoided. The security I alerted were discrete in their method of getting him out of the club. He wouldn't be truly harmed, they would take anything illegal off of him and then kick him to the curb out of the back door with a life-time ban on all vampire owned establishments.

"Bottle of O negative." I whirled around to face Eric and grinned at him. "Good evening, lover." He told me softly, even bending down to place a gentle on my cheek. It wasn't surprising that he had managed to sneak up on me; I didn't pay any attention to vampire minds in here since I couldn't hear them and many of the staff were undead.

"Here you go mate, that'll be five quid." George told Eric, handing over the heated up bottle. He glanced between the two us as Eric was standing so close to me that my arm was brushing his side. However, wisely, he chose not to comment.

"Put it on my tab, George. He's here because of me." Again, the bartender looked puzzled but didn't bother to say anything. Instead he shrugged his rather slender shoulders and turned away, leaving us alone.

"You do not have to pay for my drinks, Sookie. I chose to come here with you. I only did not get you anything because you have a full glass." He pulled out the empty bar stool beside me.

"Don't get your panties in a twist. I'm not actually paying, my tab gets covered by the vamps as a business expense. One of my perks. Might as well get them to pay for yours too!" I grinned, mischief glinting in my eye. They wouldn't exactly be happy if they found out, but then again, they couldn't really do anything about it.

"In that case, thank -you. Drinks are on your tab for the rest of the night." I raised my glass to clink with his. I filled Eric in on the details of what I was doing. "Seems quite mundane. What are the bartenders like here? Any murder, robbing the till, spiking the female clientele?"

"No. And stop it, those weren't entirely my fault. Now, just for that, I'm going to make you come dance with me." I picked up both of our drinks and stowed them away just underneath the wooden surface of the bar. George was used to me doing this sort of thing and would keep an eye on them. If anything got by George, Eric would able to smell whether anything had been added. "Come on." This time I grabbed Eric's wrist, tugging him along with me. He allowed himself to be pulled to the dance floor because there was no way I was moving him if he didn't want to cooperate.

"How much have you had to drink?" He asked as I finally turned to face him. The bar wasn't an up-tempo dance beats kind of place so I placed my hands on Eric's shoulders, hoping that he would follow my lead.

"Erm, two glasses of wine a couple of hours ago. Why?" His hands found their way to my waist and pulled me in closer to him so that there was barely an inch between our bodies.

"Your skin is flushed and it is not quite warm enough in here to cause it. Your heart sped up when you started walking with me. Even now your pupils are dilated." I had a feeling I knew what he was trying to say.

"It _is_ quite dark in here." I replied, giving my shoulders a little shrug.

"It is, but again, not to that extent. I may be reading far too much into this," at that point he paused to smirk at me. "But do you _fancy_ me Sookie Stackhouse?" I giggled at his choice of words and with relief that it hadn't quite been what I anticipated.

"Yes, Eric Northman. I have quite the crush on you." It was said with a grin and I emphasised my words with an over exaggerated kiss to his cheek.

"Good to know." He pulled me in the rest of the way so that our bodies were flush against one another. I could feel all the hard planes of his body and the muscles underneath my hands practically danced with every small movement of his arms. "You look beautiful tonight." The words were whispered in my ear.

"Thank -you." I turned my head to face him and kissed his gorgeous lips. The hem of my deep blue dress floated around my knees as we swayed together. "How was your meeting?"

"Everything was fine, the rest of this entire process is tedious until I can start to see the refurbishment changes they make. However, that will take months. I am not taking control of the hotel for another six months and then it is being shut down while all the building work takes place." I took heart in what he'd said for various reasons. He was truly a businessman and so loved that he was making what he believed to be a very good investment. He also loved projects and it sounded like this would definitely be one. Lastly, if he was looking forward to seeing the changes made to the hotel, it meant he would be back in London at some point in the future.

"Well, at least everything is progressing." I couldn't really think of anything else to ask.

"Indeed, Lover, it is." He placed a quick kiss on my temple.

After that we fell silent, just swaying to the beat of the music, wrapped up in each other's arms. It was strange and overwhelming. I still couldn't quite wrap my head around having Eric here in my city and that he still wanted to spend time with me. A lot of time with me. When I had left, I had consoled myself that he would quickly move on and find someone else, that he wouldn't be left pining. It was Eric; he had what sometimes felt like an endless list of suitors. To see and feel that he still felt something for me, even if it was mainly based around friendship, or friends with benefits, was truly shocking.

I laid my head against his chest, bringing one hand down to rest over his heart as I did so. It would seem at least a little odd to not feel anything inside someone's chest. Even as I thought about the lack of motion, something stirred and his heart began to beat. Vampires didn't need to breathe or have circulation to work, their internal physiology was completely different to people. They didn't get lactic acid build up causing cramps, their hearts didn't beat faster on exertion, because they just didn't beat at all. So to feel his heart spring to life underneath my hand sent my own heart fluttering. He was making his heart beat for me, so that I wouldn't have to feel a still chest. I didn't need to feel his heart beating, even if I thought it was strange, it was still Eric.

Although I didn't need it, I was still grateful. I moved slightly closer to his neck so that I could place a gentle kiss over the path where his jugular ran. His heart continued to beat a steady rhythm, matching mine now that my own had stopped its flutter. I knew how hard it was for him to keep it going. I assumed it was a little bit like my telepathy powers, which were still running in the background. It was mainly subconscious, but you had to put some effort in. Over the millennia he had been undead, he had lost touch with the normal homeostatic mechanisms of the human body. The few times I had felt his heart beat it had been in synch with my own, to give him a rhythm to follow. It pulled me in even closer to know that our hearts were quite tangibly connected.

Everything that was happening, not just the swaying in his arms, was beginning to have an effect on me. If I was honest I knew it would, no matter what I said, from the beginning. Thoughts of keeping myself safe and not getting hurt were pretty redundant. As soon as I said yes to seeing Eric again, I was opening myself up for everything that I had gone through previously. I just couldn't say no, he meant too much to me. He was a physical connection to everything that my life had been before I had moved continents. He had been my lover. He had been my friend. He had been there for me when other people couldn't. He was _my _vampire. It was worth going through the hurt that would undoubtedly follow to spend even a little more time with him.

What I hadn't expected was just how much I felt. When I had left Louisiana I was pretty sure I was in love on some level. Having had Eric as a friend while I had dated Bill, I had loved him in a rather platonic way at first. Of course I was attracted to him, most women, with and without a pulse, were attracted to him. It wasn't until things got a little more serious between us that the love had changed. We didn't get much time together as a couple, and we essentially just slipped into that, before I had to leave. From breaking up with Bill to arriving in Paris had taken a little under six months. So I hadn't quite worked through my feelings. What I definitely knew was that the feelings were back. I had no idea how Eric truly felt, except that it definitely appeared he still appreciated my company.

_What a mess._ I thought to myself, closing my eyes against the tears that were building in my eyes. It wouldn't do well to cry. I couldn't just leave and this was not the place where I wanted us to talk, if I wanted us to talk at all. On some level it might have been easier not to know how he felt so that I could convince myself of what ever made it all easier to cope. On another, knowing how he felt might have comforted me and at least then we would be on the same page.

It was as I was contemplating whether I should mention anything to Eric, with my hand still feeling his heart beat, that I heard something. A keyword had triggered my brain and I focused instantly on what my powers were picking up. I filtered down through all of the brains surrounding me until I pinpointed who exactly had been thinking. There was a man in the corner with his front pockets already full of two wallets, which he had acquired from somewhere else. Currently he was sidling closer to a small group of women, in particular the woman who had her bag slung over her shoulder with the zip not quite fully closed.

"What is wrong?" Eric's arms stiffened around me slightly as he gazed down at me. My head wasn't resting on his chest anymore. Instead, I was staring over his shoulder without actually seeing anything. I was focused on what I could hear.

"I can hear something." I placed a finger over his lips, telling him I needed him to keep quiet so I wouldn't become distracted. The guy I was focusing on was standing somewhere over my right shoulder near where the booths gave way to small, tall tables. I could see him in my mind's eye, moving forward toward the women, slowly so as not to draw attention to himself. "Come with me." I stepped back from him, lacing my fingers through his so that I knew he would follow. It was strange watching two versions of the same place play out in my head.

I knew the vampires in the club would be keeping a close eye on me, especially the bouncers. I walked purposefully, signalling to the vampires by just raising my hand above my head. I sashayed my hips as I moved so that people would hopefully just think I was drunk. When we drew close to the man in question, who wasn't suspicious in the slightest, I paused to spin around to face Eric again. His face was slightly curious and when I faced him, he pulled me into him again.

"What is happening?" He whispered into my ear. He would be able to hear the vampires walking toward us, keeping their pace to human speed.

"The guy in the blue striped shirt is a pickpocket. He's the guy I came here to find. The security are on their way to get him." As I spoke the first dark haired bouncer came to stand behind me. It seemed he had overhead my words because he walked smoothly up to the man in question. I didn't hear anything that was being said, having already snapped my shields back into place.

"Northman." Another vampire, called Lance who was the manager of the bar walked up to us. I turned around to face him and found him rising up from a slight bow toward Eric. I would definitely be asking Eric about that later. "Sookie." He shot me a quick smile. "Thanks for sorting this guy out. You'll be fine to leave, but make sure you come back in a couple of days to check the place again. We won't know for a while if he's the only one, even if he is working alone." Lance appeared rather relieved as he watched his two henchman escort the pickpocket toward the back rooms. Thankfully he was cooperating so they weren't making a scene.

"Sure, that'll be fine. What will you be doing with him?" I jerked my head in the direction that the three people had disappeared.

"We'll question him, retrieve anything he has on him and then turn him over to the police." He sounded annoyed with what the plan included and I had to stifle my smile. It had been something else I had insisted on in my contract; if I caught anyone human, they would be handled as far as possible by the police. Since he had been caught red handed with other people's belongings on him, he would definitely be reprimanded by the justice system. The vampires didn't keep quiet about how much I spoiled their fun.

"Good. Right, we'll be off then." I turned to leave, but had barely shifted my weight when a question came at me.

"How do you know Northman? He's only been in town for a few days."

Eric answered for me. "She used to work for me back in Louisiana throughout college."

"Oh that's right. I keep forgetting where you're from." I really hoped I hadn't lost my accent that much. I knew it had softened, but I didn't want it to disappear. "Oh well, your loss is our gain."

"Indeed." I couldn't tell anything from his one word answer. The only thing that happened was that my intrigue spiked.

"Just don't go stealing her back." I couldn't help but think 'too late'. "I'll see you in a couple of nights, Sookie. I better go help. Thanks." With that he gave Eric another little bow and strode purposefully across the floor, making the crowd part for him easily.

"You want to get out of here?" I didn't bother waiting for his reply and walked toward the door, not bothering with the drinks we had stowed away.

"Yes. This place is definitely no Fangtasia." It was completely true. To say that the place was owned and run by vampires you wouldn't know unless you knew how to recognise vampires. Even then, you wouldn't necessarily figure it out. I personally thought they were missing out on a larger crowd as none of their establishments played up the fact they were vampire owned. "Do you not have a jacket?"

"Nope, I usually just go straight from buildings to a cab, so I don't bother." I hailed one of the many passing cabs and piled in, giving the driver my address. "Don't even think about giving me yours. I'm fine and it would bury me anyway." He chuckled as I had definitely just busted his plan.

"Okay. If you will not accept my coat how about me?" He threw open an arm, inviting me into his chest. It was an invitation I gladly accepted, sliding along the seat. "Your powers have improved."

"Yeah, I have more control and I know how to harness it better now, that's all. I always had the ability, it was just knowing how to use the power. So how do you know Lance?" I purposefully kept my hands to myself this time, knowing that I wanted to talk to him when we got to my apartment. I wouldn't put it off.

"It is impressive the control you have." For a second he buried his nose in my hair and took a breath. "Lance was a minor vampire when I was here in the nineties. He had potential. It is good to see that he is fulfilling his potential, even if I do not agree with his business skills."

"So what was the bow for? I didn't think you needed to do that with vamps from another country unless they were a king or something." I would never understand vampires. As soon as I thought I understood their hierarchy, something else previously unknown would come up.

"He knew me and was showing respect. Usually it is reserved for the King and Queen." At least I had been right about that part. "However, I am more powerful the current King here." I barely kept my snort in, Eric was more powerful than most of the vampire rulers. "They are trying to keep me happy. If they leave me alone while here, it will go a long way toward that."

"Are you still happy with being Sheriff? You could have pretty much any area you chose."

"I am perfectly content. It gives me power and enough control to be able to do what I want to while still being able to do what I want. I do not want the responsibilities that come with ruling. It takes so much time that to do it well, it would mean that there was very little time for what I enjoy."

"That's good." I couldn't imagine Eric being King either. "I think you make a good Sheriff. Well, you were a good boss to me anyway." He chuckled, probably remembering the first few weeks I had worked for him at Fangtasia. We had gotten on each other's nerves so much, but he couldn't bring himself to fire me because I was really good at my job. "Well, after I stopped mouthing back at you and we became friends, you were great."

"You are right on one point, however, I have yet to see you stop mouthing back at me as you so eloquently put it."

"Well, it became good natured, should we say. I doubt I will ever stop, someone other than Pam needs to keep you in your place." We were driving near the park so we couldn't be far away from my apartment.

"It is a wonder how I manage to keep my ego and arrogance with you two. Although, I would not want you to change. You keep things interesting." As soon as the cab pulled to a stop, Eric leaned forward, taking me with him since I was leaning into his chest. He placed his card on the little dish cut into the partition. I didn't get a chance to object as his hand clamped down, softly yet firmly over my mouth, quelling anything I was going to say.

The driver silently took the card, not bothering or daring to say anything about the hold that Eric had on me. The transaction was quickly complete and Eric finally let me go, only chuckling at the glare that I gave him.

"You really should stop doing that," I huffed as I let us into my apartment building.

"Where would the fun be in that?"

A few minutes later we were in my apartment. Eric was already lounging on the sofa, one hand lazily rubbing over his stomach while his feet rested on the small coffee table. I don't think he could look more at home if he tried. I, like the first night, had gone into my room to change into something a little more comfortable. This time I chose a pair of shorts that I knew made my legs look longer than they actually were. The camisole that I chose as my top was perfectly girly and covered just enough to be considered sweet.

"Sookie," Eric called out, a question in his voice.

"Yeah?" I replied as I padded back into the room. I had stopped by the kitchen to grab him a bottle of synthetic blood while I grabbed myself a Budweiser.

"Your cat is here." There were so many things wrong and right with that statement.

"So?" I was surprised that she had come out of hiding since Eric was in the apartment. Although she had known him from back in Louisiana, perhaps that first night she hadn't quite believed it either.

"It is Tina, I did not know you brought her with you." When I stood in front of him, branding the bottle in his direction, I found Tina was already winding her way around the sofa to check him out. I couldn't blame her; I spent a lot of my time checking him out too.

"Yeah, I got her flown over when I settled in London." I settled down on the sofa and the cat in question lightly jumped up so that she could curl up in my lap.

"I knew you had a cat the other night, I did not however realise that it was Tina. It is nice to know that you have not forgotten your time in Louisiana." There was that tone in his voice again that I couldn't quite place.

"I will never and could never forget Louisiana. It was where I was born and bred. It's my home. Do you mind if I get comfy?"

"Of course not."

I scooped Tina up in one arm, held my beer in the other and then manoeuvred myself so that I was essentially sprawled over my vampire. I sat on his lap, one leg fully over him and the other dangling between his legs. In turn, Tina curled up on me once more. Lastly I settled into Eric's chest, using his shoulder to lean against. Despite the hard muscles, he was still ridiculously comfy. The best part was that he didn't seem to care what I did, which was a big improvement over humans.

"Better?" He asked, a teasing lilt in his voice.

"Yes, thanks." I clinked my beer against his bottle. I let out a sigh and let myself relax as much as I could.

"There is something on your mind. What is it? Talk to me."

"How did you know?" I asked. I thought I had been doing a much better job at hiding what was going on in my mind to not be caught so early.

"You still have tension in your shoulders and you are drinking beer in the early hours of the morning. If you were still drinking, you would have normally swapped to wine by now." I didn't bother pointing out that I had started the night on wine because he was telling the truth. "I lost you to your thoughts at the club. I repeat, what is wrong? You can talk to me."

If there was anyone in the world I could be blatantly honest with, it was Eric. Well, Pam too, but she wasn't here. "I was just thinking, which is always dangerous." I had promised myself I would talk to him. I hadn't quite realised how difficult it would be to get the words out. I took another large gulp of my beer before setting the bottle on the table, which was just in reach. "Tonight just got me thinking." I placed my hand on his chest again. A second later, his heart started to beat, again joining mine. I hadn't realised how fast it was racing. "You know you don't have to do that right?" Even as I said the words, a smile flashed across my face at what I was feeling.

"I know." His heart didn't stop. "Tell me."

"I'm probably just going to end up blurting this out." I took a deep breath, letting it out in a huff through my mouth. "I want to know what we're doing. Is it wise getting involved like this when you have to disappear back to Louisiana sometime soon? Do you know when yet? I knew when I saw you, I had to see you more before you said goodbye. You have no idea how happy I was to see you when you turned up at Shake. I can't say no to you right now. You were such a big part of my life for so long that I have to spend time with you.

I would never turn down a chance to see you. I just think I'm going to end up hurting myself when you have to go back. Not that I think I have any right to ask anything of you. I'm getting far more than I deserve in seeing you so much. I know you're busy and it was me that moved continents eighteen months ago. I can't believe you're still talking to me most of the time. I think I'm back to what I was feeling just before I left." I didn't have the nerve to look at his face while I spoke, so I had stared at Tina, even stroking her forehead.

"Sookie, look at me." I lifted my head slowly until I had to move my eyes to gaze into his. I didn't have to react. Suddenly his lips were on mine, kissing me softly. I moved with him, enjoying the caress of his touch. He didn't deepen it and his hands stayed exactly where they had been, keeping me on his lap. "How much are you going to hurt, Sookie? I need to know. I do not want to be the cause of your pain. If I need to, I can walk away now and save you more." I clutched onto his t-shirt instinctively.

"No. Don't you dare go. It's too late for that. Besides, I don't want you to go, since I knew you were here I didn't want you to go, no matter the consequences." I didn't let go of his shirt.

"For once, I do not really know what to say."

"Just don't fake out on me. I want the real you, the marshmallow, you not hard you that appears like he doesn't give a crap. I know you." I stared at him and I knew he was taking it very seriously when he didn't say anything about how 'hard' he could be.

He took a deep breath, very much as I had done before starting my rant. Even if you didn't have to breathe, it could be calming.

"I know exactly how you feel." We stared at each, not saying a word for what seemed like hours. We knew without saying the words what had happened. We couldn't say the words because that would somehow make it more real and even more difficult to deal with. When I had left him, and Louisiana, behind, I had been falling. Earlier, I had thought I was right back at that point. I had lied to myself. I had power walked right up to the cliff face and stepped right over the edge. Forget fall_ing_, I had fall_en._

_Crap._

"I have six nights left, not including this one, but flying out on the sixth in the early morning." I simply nodded in reply. Internally, I couldn't figure out what to feel. It was like when I was a child and a panic attack was brewing. Almost like that. I was in control now. I kept telling myself that I wouldn't cry. I had tucked my head down again to stare at Tina. One of Eric's fingers was gently placed on my chin, tilting my head up again. "I want to propose something. You can say no. This is not a request, but rather a suggestion.

"We make the most of the six nights we have left. I do not wish to stay away from you. It is fortuitous that I even found you here. We should not turn our backs on what luck has handed us. I do not want to hurt you, Lover."

"I know." I kissed his cheek softly. "I know we can't do this, no matter what we feel. Your home is in Louisiana and mine is here now for a time."

"I know." He returned my gesture with a kiss to my cheek, followed by another to my temple. "We would not ask that of the other."

"Long distance wouldn't be fair on either of us. Those barely work in the best of circumstances without a six hour difference, an ocean, night and day conflicts and work." He held me tighter in his arms.

"Did you move on when you left?"

I hadn't been prepared for that question. "Sort of, yes. I didn't want to mope. I was too busy in Paris, I had a few dates but that was it. Here, it was a slightly different story. I, ah, just got out of a relationship. We'd been together for a little over five months and it really wasn't working." It felt like beads of sweat were coalescing on my forehead, even though when I surreptitiously touched my skin, I knew it was dry.

"Do I need to beat sense into him? Did he hurt you?"

"What? No. Nothing like that. We just didn't work out, he was fine. Honestly, I had thought I had gotten over you for awhile. Of course thoughts of our separation came flooding back when I broke up with Damien. It wasn't until you actually showed up that I realised. What about you?" I had expected him to revert to his previous ways as soon as I had skipped out of town.

"There were of course romances, but nothing serious." I nodded my head understanding.

"I don't want you to promise me anything, Eric. I don't know when I'm coming back to Louisiana, I am tied here for many reasons."

"Then I will not promise you anything. I do want you to promise me something."

"What is it?" I wasn't stupid enough to agree without hearing what he wanted despite what my heart told me to do.

"Do not be a stranger. I like being in your life and I like you being in mine. Stay in touch." I smiled at him sadly.

"I promise." I had thought growing apart would have done us both some good. This showed us how much I knew.

"Now that we are going to make the most of our time together, how about we watch television? I have a feeling British television has not improved since my last visit." Oh how right he was.

We spent the rest of the night watching Dave with its old reruns of comedy and panel shows. Eric kept butting in with the answers to the _quite interesting_ facts. I fell asleep after the first couple of hours. By that point, we had moved considerably. Eric laid on his back on the sofa with me lying on my front on top of him. His arms spent the time snugly around my waist although he did occasionally run a finger along my cheek and kiss my head. Tina managed to get comfy between our legs, which again was unusual for her. She really must have remembered Eric.

_"Bill, what an unpleasant surprise." The tall blond vampire greeted my date, if that's what you could call a greeting. The vampires obviously knew each other and if the low growl that turned into a cough from Bill meant anything, the feelings were mutual. _

_"Eric, I did not know you were working tonight." I felt like a third wheel, a very awkward one at that. I slowly inched back a little so that I was standing just behind Bill's shoulder. I had never heard him mention the name Eric before, although he had told me about several of the vampires that worked at Fangtasia. _

_I kind of wish he had mentioned the hot vampire. While I was standing silently aside, they continued to stare at each other, something similar to hatred rising in their eyes. It did give me the chance to give Eric the once-over. My eyes were very happy with the results. He was what I would class as ridiculously tall, especially compared to me; I barely reached his shoulders. Long blond hair, a shade very similar to my own, trailed down softly to his shoulders. The blond hair matched blue eyes that were like nothing I had ever seen before; I imagined them to be the colour of a deep tropical sea. The rest of his body was just as gorgeous as his face, which was sporting just the right amount of stubble. _

_I glanced back toward Bill in time to see him take a small bow. He didn't dip at the waist like I had seen people do in period dramas, instead he bent awkwardly near his shoulders. Obviously he didn't particularly want to bow. _

_"Good boy." The patronisation was clear in Eric's voice. "What a good vampire you can be with your baby fangs." I barely stifled my gasp. Bill had been alive and had fought in the Civil war, being turned into a vampire near its end. He was not a baby by most people's standards which must mean the vampire in front of me was centuries old. "Who is lovely companion?" Eric's gaze turned to me and I found that his eyes, when they were staring straight into me, were even deeper than I had originally thought. _

_"I'm Sookie Stackhouse," I replied, not waiting for Bill. I offered my hand out, not quite knowing what the correct etiquette was for meeting a new vampire. "Bill's friend." Bill would probably be in a huff about that, everyone in town knew he wanted to be more than just my friend. However, for now, especially considering this was only our second date, he was just my friend. _

_This date had actually been my idea, although I had actually planned to try out Fangtasia with my friends from college now that everyone was twenty one. Bill had somehow overhead my plans and had insisted on accompanying me, saying it wasn't safe. He had been insistent, so I had finally relented, knowing that I could always go again with my friends. _

_"Well, what a lovely breather you are." He grasped my out-stretched hand in his massive one. I couldn't stop my brain from thinking about the old adage about whether the size of a man's features related to the size of his appendage. Instead of shaking my hand like as I had intended he brought my hand up to his mouth. He paused for a second, staring at me intently and took a deep breath. His lips scarcely made contact with my skin, although it was enough for me to feel the rough brush of his stubble before he moved. He somehow managed to spin me around, almost like a dance, so that my back was against his chest. His nose immediately buried in my hair and he inhaled deeply, letting it out with a sigh as he spun me back out. "You smell of the sun." _

_"Eric." Bill warned with a growl in his voice. I had never heard his voice so deep. Eric didn't seem to care at all, in fact he chuckled at the threat. _

_"What? You are on my ground now, in my club." So this was the vampire owner of Fangtasia._

_"Sookie is mine." Bill growled again. He had barely finished talking when I rounded on him, anger rising in myself. _

_"Just wait a moment there. I am not yours!" I even put my hands on my hips. Behind me Eric laughed, not just a chuckle but a sound that seemed to echo in the still quiet club. Several pairs of eyes turned to stare at the three of us. _

_"It seems like trouble in paradise there, Bill. I think I will leave you two to have a discussion, it seems like you have your hands full with this one." Eric didn't actually say goodbye, instead he just turned around and walked away, completely dismissing us. _

_It was safe to say that my first trip to Fangtasia didn't exactly go brilliantly. _

"Lover." I became instantly aware of Eric's voice. My mind hadn't does his voice justice at all.

"Hmm?" I asked, dragging my eyelids open so that I could look up at him. A small smile was playing on his lips. I couldn't help but notice two things in that instant. Firstly, he had called me 'lover', like he had taken to doing after we first became more than friends about two years ago. At first it had been quite intermittent, and then it had been used almost exclusively instead of my name. I had never heard him use it in reference to anyone else, even though I had been there through a few relationships. Secondly, he had the same amount of stubble on his chin as the first time I had met him. It was the perfect length for a little friction, but not so much that it tickled or hurt too badly.

"The sun will be rising soon. I have to go." Even though his words were saying goodbye, his actions weren't. He brought his hands up to cup my cheeks and then he placed a panty dropping kiss on my lips. I kissed him back, moulding my lips against his as my hands kneaded into his chest. "I wish that I did not." He didn't have to say he couldn't stay, I already knew that. My apartment was nowhere near light-tight and the blinds in my room left a lot to be desired. "I could stay here like this for hours." I wasn't entirely sure what part he was talking about; kissing me or lying on the sofa. I would take either option.

We somehow ended up sitting up on the couch, making out like we hadn't done in ages. We knew it wasn't going anywhere, there was no time, so it was kissing for the pleasure of kissing. My moans of delight emptied into his mouth. It was only when I got carried away, one of my hands trailing down a little too far on his torso that he pulled back.

"I really do have to leave rather soon." Again, his actions didn't match his words. He scooped me up in his arms, bridal style, and carried me back into the bedroom. "Tina." The one word command was all it took for my cat to come trotting after us. She even made it up onto the bed before I did. "Sleep well, lover. I will be back tonight." The last part was a statement, not a question and it brought a smile to my lips. He gave me one last kiss that he was slow to draw back from and then he spun around to leave my apartment.

Surprisingly, it didn't take me very long to fall asleep even though I was quite riled up. Tina had curled into my side, seeking warmth. I had been awake for far too long, not counting the nap. What was even more surprising and pleasant was that I continued to dream of Eric.

_It was about ten days after the events that happened when I first went to Fangtasia. I was still interested in the place, as vampires fascinated me. I had discovered that every vampire was silent to me, which meant they held a special place in my head. My friends and I actually had plans to go there to celebrate the end of our first essay deadline. However, that wasn't for another week. I was reading the student paper when I saw the advertisement for a couple of new waitresses wanted for Fangtasia. I had actually been looking for a job as it was scarcely worth driving back to Bon Temps from the city to work my shifts at Merlotte's. Of course, I still had that job during break,s but while at college, I needed something a little closer to where I lived. _

_That was how I happened to be standing in front of two vampires on a Monday night, explaining why I would be good for the job. It was like no other interview I'd been in. Whereas I had turned up in quite formal attire, looking quite demure too, the other girls wanting the job were dressed as though they were going out for the night. However, and I wasn't particularly thrilled with myself for this, I had listened to the girls as they exited the office. None of them were particularly happy or thinking that they had gotten the job. I had managed to stop myself from listening to the questions. _

_"Well, Ms Stackhouse, it seems we meet again. How was your night with Bill?" Eric asked, not bothering with the usual handshakes or introductions. He was sat beside a golden haired vampire who looked completely bore,d although with Eric's words, she half snorted. _

_"Unusual." I finally found something that wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing quite how bad the fallout from Bill calling possession of me had gone. _

_"I highly doubt that was the extent of it. Now, why do you want a job here?" He was straight to the point and I had feeling it was more than the usual why this place in particular, what do you think we can do for you type of thing. So, I decided to be honest right back. _

_"I need a job. I'm good at waitressing. I'm used to working night shifts at Merlotte's and all other shifts actually. I just can't afford to go back home every time I have a shift, it's too much time and too much in fuel. I need a job here and I quite fancy waitressing again." The female, who was exceedingly pretty, actually appeared like she wasn't about to drop dead from boredom, which I decided was a plus. _

_"Why Fangtasia? What do you want from us?" _

_I again went with blatant honesty. "I like the place. But honestly, this isn't the only waitressing job I'm applying for. This just happened to be the advert I saw first." _

_"What do you think of the uniform?" I hadn't known about a uniform. When I had been with Bill, granted I hadn't seen much, all of the waitresses were wearing different things. _

_"What uniform?" I asked before I could think of anything else to say. _

_"What all the servers wear. It has to be shorter than your knees, no sleeves unless they're see through, heels are a must, make-up must be in keeping with the atmosphere. The optional extras are bite marks and no bra." _

_"That seems perfectly fine." I swallowed back my gulp at what he expected. However, if I ended up getting this job, I would show him what I was made of. With the description he gave, I was probably going to end up literally showing him what I had as well. "I have some things I can wear." With that last part, I was lying my socks off. _

_"How much waitressing experience do you have? Our crowds can get rowdy." This question came from the female. "Do you have any bartending experience? At our busier times, the waitresses have to get all of their own drinks."_

_"Pam." There was a clear warning in Eric's voice although I had no idea why. _

_"I've worked at Merlotte's since I was sixteen. I started out bussing tables, then lunch service and finally all shifts. I can look after a bar, I've been bar- tender before at Merlotte's. I'd have to get used to some new drink combinations, but I'm a fast learner. The crowds won't be a problem." They didn't have to know about my telepathy. Although it was usually a pain in the butt, it could come in handy; I always knew when something was getting out of hand, or if a customer was going to try something. _

_"You say it will not be a problem. Just how are you going to deal with them?" Again a question from Eric. _

_"Exactly how I deal with you; honestly, brutal and quick. Keeps them in their place." _

_"Oh, I like her." They whispered to each other fervently in a language I couldn't even place let alone understand. "You're hired. First shift is on Wednesday night. Wear what he said."_

_"This is only on a temporary basis, you will be constantly evaluated until it is deemed you are good enough to be given a contract, if you get to that stage. Most of our staff do not." _

_"That's fine, you won't be disappointed. I have skills you couldn't dream of, Cowboy." Pam laughed aloud at that. I got up from my chair, nodded my head at them both and walked toward the door. _

_"I will look forward to seeing you in your new uniform." _

_"Your eyes won't believe it." With that I darted from the room as fast as I could. Eric didn't get time for another parting shot, however I did hear Pam say ' she's my new favourite breather' with a laugh in her voice before the door shut. _

_By the time my first shift rolled around, only two days later, I was a complete bag of nerves. I had spent the majority of Tuesday, when not in class, shopping with my one of my housemates for new clothes that would be suitable. It had taken us hours to get a few items. It would seem that I would be fulfilling what I had said; I don't think Eric would believe his eyes at my transformation. _

_My jobs for the night, as had been given to me by Pam, were to basically walk around the tables and groups in my sections delivering drinks. It actually seemed ridiculously simple, much easier than all of the complex food orders I'd get at Merlotte's. To top it all off, the pay was nearly double as well. Eric hadn't been around when I first arrived, which I was a little disappointed at. I had sort of hoped to do a big reveal when I took my coat off. Pam's reaction was almost as good as I imagined Eric's to be. I had a feeling I would like Pam. _

_Within the first fifteen minutes, I was getting into the groove of things. While some people did ask for specific drinks I hadn't made before, or cocktails, most orders were simple. I didn't even pause to bother the bartender to get those. Instead, I just slipped behind the bar and made my own, which was probably faster too, due to the crowds gathering. _

_I knew the instant that Eric walked into the room. I'm not entirely sure what it was, but it seemed like something in the atmosphere changed. When I glanced up, I realised it was because a lot of people in the area had stopped what they were doing to stare. He was in essentially the same outfit I had seen him in the previous times I'd met him; biker style that practically had danger scribbled across all the black leather. _

_"I've got this." The bar tender had already offered a warmed-up bottle of synthetic blood for a server to take out to Eric. It seemed that I would get my moment. _

_I placed the bottle on my round tray, even though it was only one item, and held it all up at shoulder level so there was an unobstructed view of my body. I knew I looked good in a ridiculous and slutty kind of way. I'd let my hair dry naturally, letting the gentle waves I had been blessed with shine in full glory. My make-up had been done by one of my friends and was actually still understated compared to the others I was working with. However, I still had smoky eyes, a pale complexion and bright red lips. My outfit was what made everything work. I was wearing chunky high heeled Doc Martin boots that ended just above my ankle, teamed with flesh coloured tights. My legs had never looked longer. My skirt was the shortest I had ever dared to wear, yet was simple and soft. Of course it was black. On top, I had a Fangtasia t-shirt that I had pretty much destroyed. The emblem on the front had worked out perfectly for my frame. I had trimmed it down until the only readable script was 'life begins', everything underneath had been shredded into long strands. It was figure hugging, which probably gave anyone looking the knowledge that I really had forgone my bra. I had also hacked off the sleeves. However, due to the long length of the strands and that I hadn't actually cut any of them off, I wasn't really showing much flesh. The only thing I was missing were the bite marks, which I wasn't prepared to get. Even if Bill probably would have very willingly agreed to give them to me. _

_I walked toward where Eric sat, on what was essentially a throne covered in animal furs. He was scanning the crowd, taking everything in. The second he saw me walking toward him, I knew. His eyes bugged ever so slightly, so that if you hadn't been looking for a reaction, you never would have noticed. A smirk spread across my lips. I added extra sway to my hips until it felt like I was almost dancing toward him. _

_"Here you go, Eric." I told him politely, setting down the drink beside him on the small side table. I leaned in low to him, my face at the same level as his. "I told you, Cowboy." With that I walked away, still swaying my hips, before he could recover enough to say anything. _

_Little did I know that it would be the only time I would make Eric truly speechless. _

_"Hey, Sookie." I looked up to find the human bar- tender shouting my name. I ignored his leering thoughts and concentrated on what he was actually saying. "Will you take these in to Eric?" Brian handed over a warmed-up bottle of synthetic blood and a mixed drink of some sort. _

_"Sure. But why?" Eric had his own stash of bottled blood and a microwave so that he didn't have to leave the room for a snack. _

_"No idea, just doing what the boss says." I sighed and nodded, accepting the drinks. It didn't pass my powers to see an image of him sticking some tips into his back pockets. He was mentally counting how much he had earned tonight. Indignation and rage filled me. I swallowed it down, I couldn't confront him tonight. It was true that I had been suspicious of him for a while, but hadn't got any concrete proof of his stealing; previously it had just been an idea, not a picture of him doing it. _

_I turned my back and walked away toward the staff only areas of the bar. In the back, we had a little staff room where we could take our breaks, the general store room and then there were two offices. I went to the nearest and the largest office, which belonged to Eric and rapped loudly on the door. _

_"Come in." I pushed the door open and stepped inside. I hadn't been back in this room since the first day I had started, when I had signed documents for my wage and things. Eric sat behind his giant oak desk with his feet up on the corner. He was reclining in his luxurious chair, looking like he didn't have a care in the world. "Ah, I see you got my order." The room was empty except for Eric, so I still had no idea why he wanted the mixed drink, he couldn't enjoy it. _

_"Yeah, here you go." I placed both drinks down on the desk near him, being careful of the laptop which was open on the desk. I didn't know where else to put the other one. _

_"That one is yours." _

_"Erm, what? Why?" We weren't supposed to drink on duty and I had definitely seen Brian putting something in there although I hadn't been paying enough attention to remember what it was. The bigger question was why the hell was Eric dragging me back here for a drink. _

_"Take a seat, Sookie." At least he was being fairly pleasant, well I guess civil would have been a better description. It made a change from biting down each other's throats as usually happened when we came into contact. Pam found it absolutely hilarious and I was fairly sure she was the reason I was still here three weeks later. That and they really couldn't complain about my waitressing skills. _

_"Okay." I sat down in one of the chairs facing the desk and grabbed my drink without being told to. He'd already said it was mine and if the boss was telling me, I could drink on the job. When I took a sip I found it to be a simple Malibu and coke. "So what's up?" I had to sit a little awkwardly in the chair, my knees pinned together due to the incredibly short shorts I was wearing. Since that first night I had toned things down a little, mainly I had worn a bra every night. Despite nothing about the uniform being me, at all, it had been the best fun I'd had in awhile to rile up Eric. His reaction had been priceless. _

_"Honestly, I want to stop Pam from laughing."_

_"Okay, where do I come in with that?" I really didn't have any idea where he was going with this. _

_"She finds our interaction entirely too amusing. So," he paused there, sitting up straighter in his chair and taking his feet down from the desk. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk so that he could look intently at my eyes. "I want you to not be so provocative. You will follow my commands as your boss and will stop goading me into minor confrontations. Additionally, you will go back to what you were wearing the night of your first shift." _

_The entire time he spoke I felt something, almost like a pressure in my head. My own power battered it back until it felt more like a thin film over my head, seeking out any holes in my armour. There were none. _

_"Erm, no." He sat back in his chair, staring at me as though there was something wrong with me. "I haven't been provocative. Our personalities just clash apparently. I have followed your commands as my boss, how I chose to carry them out is more up to me. No one else has a problem with how I do my job. And you can fuck off about going bra less again, you said yourself it was optional."I downed the rest of my drink. "Am I okay to go back out there? I didn't tell the other girls I was going on break."_

_"No, stay there." He wasn't giving me an option. He pulled out a cell phone, spoke rapidly and then hung up, all in the space of about three seconds. "Your section is being covered. Now, tell me exactly how you did that." _

_"Did what? I have no idea what you're talking about." _

_"You repelled my compulsion. It did not affect you at all." His face held a curious expression. I was beginning to think it would be nice if that glass was full again. "What are you? I have been a vampire for over a thousand years and have never met a human who could resist me." Even in the serious turn this conversation had taken, I could still understand that he meant no human had resisted him in any way. _

_"Erm, I don't know?" Even I could tell there was a question in my voice. "I've never had a vampire try to compel me before." _

_Eric didn't seem to believe me. He left his seat to stand in front of me. Before I could move, he swept down to lean over me, his face inches from mine while his hands on the arms of the chair kept me in place. _

_"You smell like the sun on a hot summer's day. No human can smell like that." He took a deep breath for emphasis. "What are you?" _

Crap.

_"I'm," I took my own deep breath, mine however was to steady my nerves. "A telepath." There was no laughing like what had happened with everyone else that I had ever told. The list was very short indeed. _

_"Can you read vampire minds?" He still hadn't moved back and I found myself staring into his deep blue eyes. _

_"No, that's why I like you guys so much, you're silent. It's mainly just humans, some shifters but that's a little trickier." He nodded his head, his eyes telling me that he was lost deep in thought. _

_"Prove it to me." _

_I told him the only thing I could think of. It helped that it had made my blood boil just moments ago. If it hadn't been from my practised skill of keeping everything together, it would have overwhelmed me. "Your human bar-tender is swindling tips. He puts half in the jar and half in his back pocket." Out came the cell again, his fingers flying over the key pad._

_"You really do have power." There was no doubt in his voice, for some reason he believed me about the bar tender. Finally, he settled back until he was half sitting on the desk behind him. With his arms crossed across his chest, all of his muscles bunched. "I did initially call you in here to discuss the matter with Pam. Since I cannot compel you into submission, it seems I will have to resort to more human centred methods."_

_That was how I had come to spending my entire shift in the office with Eric playing cards. I lost every game. It was such an unreal moment in my life, I still occasionally looked back and laughed. It was nothing that I had anticipated. That was the first bar tender that Fangtasia went through while I was hanging around and it was also the start of my friendship with Eric. After that night we didn't get on each other's nerves quite as much. I cut back on my taunts, turning them more into friendly teasing, if I said anything at all and he in turn, wasn't quite so hard as stone. Pam grew bored with the situation very quickly until she joined in what turned out be a weekly cards night. _

_**Thanks for reading and to all of my reviewers, especially Arya S who I can't reply to. This story I've started sending snippets of the next chapter with each review. **_

_**I got my rotations scheduled this week; lots of emergency medicine coming up! I've been learning about the lymphoreticular and haematopoeitic systems this week, here's some random facts; mammalian red blood cells are anucleate while reptiles & birds have nucleate ones. The life span of RBCs also varies with species: 100 days in dog, 70 days in cats and 150 days in cattle & horses :) **_

_**So what did you think this week? I'm starting placements again on Monday so it's a good job I'm really far ahead with this story. Hope you guys had a fantastic 4th July**_

_**LF91**_


	5. Chapter 4

**Massive thanks to my wonderful beta Lauinia :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own, the Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris**

It was fairly early in the evening when there was a knock on my apartment door. I wasn't expecting anyone, so it was with a grumble that I left the disaster site that was my kitchen to answer the door.

"Coming!" I quickly washed my hands so that I wouldn't drag batter across the apartment. I was attempting to bake red velvet cupcakes, although the topping kept going wrong and wasn't sufficient enough to hold its shape. I finally reached the door and wrenched it open to reveal two people. "Oh my god!" I squealed in delight for a second and then threw my arms around Pam's shoulders. "It's so good to see you!" I said quietly, mindful for how close my mouth was to her ear.

"Hello, Sookie." She squeezed me back tightly, even if her expression said that she didn't want to be hugging anyone. I gave her a kiss on the cheek and finally pulled back enough to wrap my hand around her wrist so that I could pull her inside.

"Come on in."

"Am I a leper now? Was it truly only Pam you wanted to see?" Eric still stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his ankles crossed.

I gave Pam's arm another squeeze and then turned around to face my vampire. His lips were pulled up in a smirk, showing that he wasn't actually offended, despite his words. I walked over to him so that I could wrap arms around his shoulders, as much as they would go. I squeezed him tightly, pulling my body up to his.

"Now you know you're not a leper. I put up with you so it's more a contagion that I've already had." His arms enveloped me, pulling me into him even tighter. A second later, our lips met in a kiss that left me wanting more. All of his kisses left me wanting more in the most delightful way.

"You two haven't changed then." Pam spoke up. When I turned around to look at her, she was reclining on the sofa smiling at us.

"I thought you would enjoy this particular present and surprise."

"I'm not an object." Pam interjected. Eric didn't pay her any attention.

"I have to go and meet with the hotel people again. I do not know what time it will finish so goodnight." He gave me another kiss, this one rather chaste, except for his hand running over my butt.

"Goodnight." I whispered it against his lips, not quite wanting to let him go.

"Put him down, for heaven's sake. I'm here." I giggled at Pam and finally pulled away from my vampire. He let himself out and I joined Pam on the sofa. "What are you doing with my maker?"

A blush spread across my cheeks so badly that it felt like they were on fire. "Not much." I replied weakly.

"I'll let you in on a secret. When we made the plans to come here, we thought we should look you up but he didn't do anything while I was around. He didn't even tell me he'd found where you were. I walked into our suite when I got back and found it empty. When his dishevelled self finally showed up a few minutes before the sun rose fully he had your scent all over him." I giggled at the thought of Eric looking dishevelled. "He refused to kiss and tell."

"As will I." I thought a quick change of topic would probably be for the best. "So how have you been? Any beaus on the scene?"

"Not really, I was dating this new waitress we have at Fangtasia. It ran its course, so now I am between friends. Got anyone you can set me up with?" She looked a little hopeful.

"No, sorry." I knew she and Amelia would get along splendidly, once they got over being too alike. However, that was something the world wasn't ready for. That little exchange set the tone for the rest of the night and it progressed, going further into the gutter with each passing hour.

One more night down and Eric didn't make it back to spend any time together. I spent the entire night chatting with Pam while I ate frosting from the bowl with a spoon since it refused to set. I had five nights left and he was leaving on the fifth. Pam would only be around for one more night. My emotions were conflicting. I wanted to spend more time with my friend and I wanted to spend more time with Eric. I meant quality time as well, alone with them. However, due to the lack of time I hoped that I would be able to see both of them together, once more, the following night.

"Lover, what are you wearing? I hasten to add that I quite approve." Eric lay on my bed in his usual attire. It riled me up that men didn't really have to bother doing anything to be able to get into clubs while women had to slave away for what seemed like hours to get approval.

"You agreed that me and Pam could chose the club." I started the explanation as I continued to apply my mascara. Pam was already perfectly polished and poofed. She too was reclining on my bed, although she was sitting down, beside Eric. They had arrived together and then taken up residence in my room while I finished getting ready. Luckily for me, and unfortunately for them I was already dressed, I just had to finish my make-up.

"I am beginning to regret that decision. It seems time has dulled my incredulity of the magnitude at trouble you two can make."

I chose to just ignore him. "We found a club nearby that we want to go to. So we're dressing the part." Eric was really going to hate us. It wasn't as though Pam would particularly like the club specifically, although she did like to get out of her sweaters occasionally. However, what Pam would do to annoy Eric didn't have limits.

"I regret my decision." I laughed.

"Tough luck, Cowboy. You're coming with us. I'm good to go." I grabbed my small bag from the vanity and slung it over my shoulder after slipping my lip gloss inside.

"I'll just go, try to keep the smacking noise down, I don't have anyone here." Pam stalked out of the room, her eyes alight with mischief. I hoped it was just the thought of what we were dragging Eric to and not something she was planning against us right now. "I'll be by the elevator."

"Where are we going?" Eric asked. He finally sat up on the bed, pulling me to stand between his legs.

"Two can play at the surprise game. You won't know until we get there." I rested my hands on his shoulders, resisting the urge to run my fingers through his hair. It turned out I really did like it a little shorter. However, I couldn't make my mind up which I preferred.

"Hmm, well perhaps it is because I do not want to leave." My breath caught in my chest for a second until the rational part of my brain took over. He wasn't talking about London, he couldn't be, he was talking about leaving the apartment to go to an unknown club.

Eric ignored the war that was going on inside me, if he was even aware of it. He seemed preoccupied with his wandering hands. He leaned forward slightly to place an open mouth kiss on my chest, just above my breasts where my tank top finished. I couldn't stop myself from letting my head loll back as his cool breath whispered out across my skin.

"I really do not want to move." Another kiss, slightly lower down, practically between my breasts. "I love this colour on you." He had pulled the neck line of my tank top down slightly to reveal the lace top of my deep purple bra.

"Eric!" Pam shouted from the other room. It didn't stop Eric from planting another kiss on the mound of my right breast. His tongue darted out, sneaking beneath the lace to taste my flesh. My hands gripped his shoulders. I couldn't make up my mind whether I was holding him place so he would continue, or so that he wouldn't do anything more. Pam barged into my bedroom, letting the door slam into the wall behind her. "Put each other down and let's go." Only Eric's head pressed against my chest covered my modesty. Even though Pam had seen me in far more compromising positions, (she had even purposefully walked in on me and Bill before), blood still rushed furiously to my cheeks.

"Pam, leave. I will get up when I am ready." Eric's voice was slightly muffled as he hadn't bothered to lift his head. His lips skimmed my skin with every word. Over the top of his head, Pam shot me a glare.

"Eric, Pam's right. We should leave, the club will be filling up now. The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll be back." My hands finally loosened their grip on his shoulders.

"Pam." Eric growled out. With a roll of her eyes, Pam spun around and stalked out of the room. I didn't hear the front door, so she must have stayed in the living room.

Eric growled again, letting me feel the vibration. His hands gripped my hips tighter as he pulled me roughly closer to him. I was lucky to keep my balance. One more kiss was placed on my chest, beneath the lace. This time there was the hard press of fangs against my skin, threatening to break through. A moan escaped my lips.

"Do you know hard it is for me to leave right now?" The question came while his mouth was still pressed against my chest, yet his eyes stared straight up at me. He would have looked ridiculous if I wasn't so turned on.

"No." I whispered back. I didn't even really see him move, he was so fast. He stood in front of me, keeping our bodies pressed tightly together. I could feel exactly what he meant, pressed against my lower stomach. I sighed loudly. "I wish we didn't have to leave now. But, Pam is leaving tomorrow and she's one of my best friends. I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't spend time with her and I don't think she'd forgive me either. You know how well she can hold a grudge."

"Fine. I am staying the night here." It wasn't a question or a request, but a statement of fact. I knew I wouldn't be getting much sleep again tonight.

Pam and I danced the night away, or until the club shut anyway. Eric's reaction to the club didn't disappoint. The club we had chosen was having a light party, which meant glow sticks, paint and black lights. I had wisely chosen to wear white, knowing that I would get covered in paint and that the white would allow the paint to show better. Pam was in a matching outfit, since there are only so many styles of white tank tops you can get. The difference was where I had opted for an old pair of skinny jeans with heels; Pam had gone for a flowing skirt and heels.

I actually felt myself feeling sorry for Eric about an hour after we arrived. Vampire skin seemed to glow slightly in the black lights, giving the normal humans a chance to see what I had always seen. To me, their skin always shone, standing out like a beacon for their non human status. In the club, the glow drew even more attention to them. While Pam loved it, practically basking in all of the attention from dance partners, Eric didn't seem to enjoy it. Yes he loved attention, but he preferred it on his own terms.

It had taken two minor altercations with drunk men trying to write their numbers down on me in the glowing paint, for everyone to get the picture that I was completely off the market. Even though we weren't technically together in the conventional sense, we weren't open to others. I wouldn't have taken any of men up on their offers and Eric knew this, however his territorial nature had shone through. He had resisted causing any permanent damage, although the second man to try it had suffered a twisted or sprained wrist for his efforts.

When last orders were finally called, we left the club to hail a cab. Me and Eric got dropped off first at my apartment, while Pam would continue to take the cab back to their hotel. Promises were made for me to be at the hotel at dusk so that I could say my goodbyes. I gave her a sticky, thanks to the drying paint, hug which managed to surprise her again and waved goodbye. As I had thought, I didn't get much sleep. In fact, I didn't get any before the sunrise.

"I have four nights left." Eric stated to the quiet air of my bedroom. There was maybe an hour left before sunrise and about half an hour until he would have to leave. I lay flat out on my back, my skin still a little sweaty from exertion. Eric didn't care. One of his hands continued to explore my skin, roaming all over the parts of my body he could reach.

"I know." I tried to keep my tone light. I had a feeling that I failed miserably.

"I have four free nights left." I turned my head on the pillow, an eyebrow raised. A broad grin split across his face, highlighting his fangs which were still run down. So far, he hadn't actually taken any of my blood. In some ways I was happy as it meant that it wouldn't add another level to our connection. However, the fact there wasn't another level added to our connection saddened me too. "I managed to get everything that I needed to sorted last night while you were with Pam. The rest can be handled internationally." I grinned back at him.

Finishing all of his business meant he could have left on the same flight as Pam. Yet he was still here, lying in my bed with me. We had three nights left, two of which were completely free and the third on which I would have to say goodbye for who knew how long. I didn't have enough money to fly back to Louisiana on anything near a regular basis and my jobs didn't allow me that time off. I could technically get away with writing my blog from anywhere, but I was contracted to the vampires. Eric couldn't realistically fly back to London regularly either, he had all of his state side businesses and long haul flights, no matter how careful the airline, always held some special risks for vampires.

"Oh. What would you like to do?" I gripped the hand that had been trailing over my stomach, lacing our fingers together.

"I only have one request, which will take one night. The rest you can plan." His smile had turned devilish. His eyes still held that dark look he got whenever he was about to have sex.

"What's that?"

"We spend one night together without ever leaving my hotel room." Now I understood his smile and I'm pretty sure my own smiled was a mirror image.

"I think that could be arranged." Even though I already felt more _satisfied_ than I had in long time, my insides still tightened in anticipation.

"Good." He leaned across to kiss my lips softly since they were already swollen. "What do you have planned for the rest of our time?" He broke our clasped hands so that once more he could trail his fingertips over my body. Goosebumps raised wherever he touched and his eyes followed the trail. No matter my insecurities, I always felt like I could just be myself in front of Eric. I never felt embarrassed, or ashamed to show my body, because there was absolutely no doubt about his feelings or approval.

"I'm not really sure." I admitted. I hadn't allowed myself to plan too much since I hadn't known how busy Eric would be. "I think I have one night in place, for tomorrow. I don't know about our last night."

Eric nodded his head in agreement and then shifted on the bed. Instead of lying on his side so that I could ogle his chest, he lay on his stomach with one arm draped across my hips. His chin came down to settle on my stomach gently.

"I will leave that night up to you. Now," he shifted again, lifting his head and scooting further down the bed. "I want to hear you say my name." His cockiness showed through; there was no doubt in his mind that he wouldn't achieve his goal.

_When I started out the night, I had anticipated it to end the way it did. I started my shift at Fangtasia like I did all of my others. Tonight would also be my last shift before I took a couple of weeks off for school -break. If I hadn't been friends with Eric, I doubt I would have been able to. My bags were packed, ready to spend two weeks in Bon Temps with my family. Even though it was only an hour away, I didn't want to have to drive between two homes. Bill was picking me up when my shift ended at three to drive me back. I would spend the night with him and then go to my gran's in the morning. _

_"I would not bother doing that." Eric said as he sauntered into the staff room. The conversations the other waitresses were having died quickly as he walked in. Eric didn't bother coming into the staff room at Fangtasia at all. If he needed any of us, he had us called to speak to him in his office. I had worked at the bar for nearly a year and had never once seen him step foot in there. _

_"Huh?" I asked as I continued to apply my mascara in the mirror. I had arrived at Fangtasia in my civilian clothes since it was quite chilly outside, so I was busy getting styled in Fangtasia-chic. _

_"Getting dressed." It was only then that I realised I hadn't put my shirt on yet. Since it was a small button, denim vest, I had decided to leave it for last in case of make-up mishaps. "And the make-up. We are going to Alexandria." Everyone had their eyes focused on us. _

_"Why?" I asked, putting all of my questions into one word. It seemed everyone else wanted to know the answer to that question as well. While half of the servers didn't care about my friendship with Eric, those were the ones who treated this just as a job, the other half of them turned into the gree-eyed monster of jealousy. They, men and women, hated that I was so close to Eric and that he appeared to choose to spend time with me while he wouldn't give them the time of day. It wasn't my fault if he found them insufferable. _

_"Trust me." His reply was simple yet the room seemed to hold its collective breath, waiting for my answer. _

_"Okay." It was the truth as well. Eric may not have been the best guy, he didn't go around saving puppies and such, but he was honourable. He'd had my back in some sticky situations and I owed him my life. Of course I trusted him. _

_I finished applying the mascara since it would be uneven otherwise, but did grab a pack of makeup removal wipes from the stash underneath the vanity mirror we all shared. With care, I would be able to remove the rest of the makeup, leaving just the mascara in place. _

_"We leave in five minutes. I suggest your normal attire, if you decide upon a shirt." It didn't escape anyone's notice how his eyes ventured down to my chest, twice, before he turned around. The door had barely shut beside him when the chatter started. There were some catcalls and teasing from the few people who were on the fence about their feelings toward mine and Eric's friendship. The people who didn't see an issue with it simply smiled their goodbyes and left the room to start their shift. The rest of the people, numbered about seven people. All of the servers were supposed to be on tonight as the local college had broken up for break and Fangtasia was expected to get packed since it also happened to be a Friday, which was good for tourists. _

_"Get to work!" Eric poked his head back in the door as I was pulling my normal shirt over my head. "Shame you had to change." He had already disappeared again in the second it took me to pull the material down over my eyes. I was left to find the glares of the other servers as they grudgingly got to work. _

_I ignored them as best I could and made sure that my shields were tightly in place. I got rid of the excessive make up, but decided to leave my hair wavy instead of pulling it up into a pony tail. Grateful for being warned, I changed out of my shorts and into my skinny jeans. When I was finished, I walked down the hallway to Eric's office, strolling in without bothering to knock since I knew he was waiting for me. _

_"Hey, Boss," I greeted him, giving him a smirk too. While we were at work, it was what I liked to call him as it rankled him; it wasn't a term of respect as some of the others used it, but rather of endearment. That isn't to say I went too overboard with our friendship while at work. "So what's all this about?" I waved my hands indicating that I really did mean everything that had transpired in the past five minutes. _

_"You are leaving for your school break tonight, which means you are not working for another sixteen nights and you will be in Bon Temps for two weeks. I thought we could have some fun before _Bill," _he said the name with complete contempt in his voice, "Comes to collect you." I wasn't entirely sure why he felt the need to hang out specifically because I was going back home. I was an hour away, not even that, considering how Eric drove, or if he flew. I had spent my previous school break at home and he had actually visited me then. It should be noted that I wasn't adverse to the idea of spending time with Eric, far from it. I was just slightly annoyed that I would be losing wages and the good tips that would come from the busy night. _

_"Okay. You're not paying me for this by the way, before you get any ideas." The mischievous grin I got in return told me I would have to be especially watchful to make sure I didn't get any unexpected cash in my account. "So what are we doing in Alexandria?" I had no clue why we would bother to go there. _

_"Let it be a surprise." He stood up from behind his desk, closing the screen of his laptop. With keys in hand he walked toward me. _

_"Does it have to be?" I still wasn't used to surprises. The last surprise I'd had was when Bill took me on a night time picnic. He hadn't actually made any of the stuff, but had managed to include some dried blueberries in the yoghurt mix he had bought. Of course I was allergic to blueberries. To be fair it was mildly allergic but I had still developed a rash and my face had gone all puffy. _

_"Yes. Have I ever lead you astray with any of _my _surprises?" Eric had heard the tale of the unfortunate picnic from me the night after it had happened. He had found it hilarious. So much so, that he had called Pam into the office so that I could recount it again. _

_"No," I admitted. _

_"Then trust me." _

_Half an hour later, we pulled up outside of a small building that had flood lights lighting up something behind it. We had actually driven just south of Alexandria on the highway. The time in the luxurious car had been spent chatting and laughing at each other, sometimes it was even with each other. At least now, all of our taunts were in good humour. We gave as good as we got. _

_I knew better than to ask any questions; I wouldn't get an answer yet. So I kept quiet and let Eric open my door for me, even going as far as to escort me inside. It turned out the place was a go-kart arena that was having a late night opening. Inside the small building, it was surprisingly full of people, from teenagers to a couple in their mid-thirties. Eric was the only vampire. _

_We sat through a stupid safety video and signed our lives away, saying that we wouldn't sue if anything happened before we were let loose on the track. Everyone chose a kart and it was only then that I realised the place wasn't actually as full as I had thought since only about half of the karts became occupied. _

_"Let me see what you are made of, Stackhouse." Eric called out as he eased himself down into the kart, folding his knees into what seemed like an uncomfortable angle. _

_"Hah! You won't be able to see me for dust!" The checked flag dropped just as I finished and I floored the kart. I took the split second advantage I had as Eric's attention had been entirely focused on me when it fell. My kart eased past his, but Eric's reaction time meant he was right on my tail as I turned into the first corner. I didn't give a second thought to the other people. My mind was focused on driving and the inevitable competition that stood between me and the vampire. _

_By the end of the first lap, we were neck and neck. There was no doubt that Eric was the better driver; with his skills, he could probably have been a racing driver of some kind. His reaction times were faster than I could even think. However, his sheer size and weight meant that he was at a disadvantage. With only little old me in my kart, I was a tad faster, which meant that as long as I didn't mess up too badly, I could hold my own. _

_Three laps down and Eric inched past me on a corner, having chosen the best line. He was slow into the corners, getting the correct positioning so that he was faster than me on the exit. _

_"Keep up now, Stackhouse!" He shouted over his shoulder, even being cocky enough to look back at me. I growled at him which only caused him to laugh. _

_It took another three laps for me to be able to creep back up to his kart so that we were neck and neck again. By this point, all of the other karts were staying out of our way, although the track was so large and we had all become so spaced out that we didn't really pass anyone. On the straight, where I used my little bit of extra speed, I drew up beside him. Playing dirty, I spun my wheel to the side, clipping the side of his kart. I must have caught him just right because his car spun to the side. It was just what I needed and I went what felt like zooming past. _

_"It's a good job you like watching my ass, Northman!" I called out as I pulled ahead. I didn't dare to turn around as he had, it probably would have ended with me driving head first into the tyre barriers that lined the track. _

_The rest of the race we played dirty. When Eric was behind, he spent the entire time trying to clip the side of my kart, which meant I spent my time trying to avoid him. It was on the second to last lap when he finally squeezed me over enough to pass. I had seen his wheels in my periphery and had instinctively veered to the right to avoid him, which gave him just the opportunity to pull beside me and then ahead. I barely held in the expletives that sprang to mind. _

_"So long, Sookie." He didn't get far as I had only veered, which meant that we crossed the finish line with me barely a kart's length behind him. _

_"Cheater," I called him as soon as we pulled to a stop where we had originally collected the karts. _

_"Oh, are you a sore loser?" He asked, a grin lighting up his entire face and making his eyes sparkle. He was trying to be teasing, but I could hear the laughter in his words. _

_"Only when my opponent is a cheater." I replied, jabbing him in the ribs. _

_"Do I need to remind you that is was not me that started the dirty tactics? You were the one that clipped me. Up until then, I had been driving fairly." I hate it when logic worked against me. _

_"Well, that was only because I knew you were going to start something." We were walking out the place, back toward the parking lot. I was looking toward the car, which is why I didn't see anything coming. Eric's arms wrapped around my lower waist and he scooped me up, turning me around and flinging me over his shoulder in one movement. _

_"I think it is just because you are a sore loser." I laughed as I protested, slapping my hands against his back. _

_"Put me down you oaf!" He didn't listen to me at all. Instead he started laughing, so much that I could feel his shoulders shaking underneath me. "You giant, oversized man! Down!" I tried rolling and one of his hands came up to rest on my ass to keep me in place. "Oi! Hands!" He actually listened to that protest and moved his hand up slightly to my waist where he began to tickle me. Laughter bubbled from my own lips, betraying me. _

_"I will have you know that I am not oversized. I am perfectly proportional." I laughed even harder at his words. _

_He was still tickling my sides when I began to wheeze and initiate a cough. I didn't even have chance to blink before my feet were planted safely on the ground and his fingers had stopped dancing along my skin. _

_"Sucker." I sang as I leaned against the door handle. He glowered at me for tricking him and pressed the unlock button on his car. Still smiling at my slyness, I opened the door and got in. _

_We were still teasing each other when we arrived at Fangtasia. The parking lot was still busy as there was about another hour left before last orders were called. Eric was walking slightly ahead of me when I caught up to him. I swept down low to wriggle underneath his arm as I put my own around his waist. _

_"Ah, what took you so long this time? Had to push someone out of the way?" Even as he spoke his arm settled down around my shoulder, holding me in close. _

_"Oh shut up. You're only acting like this because you're so worried that it was so difficult to beat me. I almost had you there." _

_"Keep telling yourself that. Do I need to tip you upside again to get some sense into that pretty, beautiful head of yours?" _

_"No you big goon. You know it's lucky I love you or I wouldn't put up with this." We reached the staff entrance to the bar and I was met by an icy cold glare. Bill cleared his throat. _

_"Not interrupting anything am I?" _

_Just perfect, the first time I told Eric I loved him and Bill had to overhear. Of course I had meant it in a platonic way, as I loved all of my friends. Bill wasn't to know that yet and I felt my stomach sinking. I hadn't even told Bill I loved him yet. Shit. My night had just turned from fantastic to disastrous, faster than I could keep up. _

_"I love you too, Sookie." Just to top it off Eric had to reply, while staring directly into Bill's eyes and squeezing me into him even more. This would take some explaining. _

My memory of Eric leaving my apartment just before dawn was hazy at best. I had a very good night's sleep, consisting of dreams of Eric, and the fun we had had back in Louisiana. When I awoke, it was nearly lunch time. Hanging out with vampires so much was completely throwing off my schedule. I also discovered that I had several messages, both text and voicemail, waiting for me. They were all, except one, from the local vampires telling me that they no longer needed me to work as they had gotten a small group of pickpockets out of the one man. They hadn't been working together, but they knew each other. The other message was from Amelia, asking how I was doing and whether I was going to the book club tonight. I had completely forgotten about it and I was running it. Thankfully, I had already read the book, The Hobbit, several times and with my degree, I could very easily wing the class. I just had to hope that Eric wouldn't mind me going.

I spent the day catching up with my blog, taking photos of the baking process and then going down to a local homeless charity to donate all of my baking efforts. I had even made an extra few batches of sugary goodness, so there was plenty to go around. By the time I had accomplished everything I needed to, it was time to head over to the hotel to say my goodbyes to Pam.

It took forever for me to be let up to their room. I had almost made it to the elevators when I was stopped by the bell hop, since I didn't have a room key. I was dragged back to the front desk and they had to call up to the room to make sure that I was allowed access. It was a whole big fiasco that ate into my time and left me even grouchier than I had been.

"No matter where you go, incidents seem to follow you about. It's not as fun without you around." Pam said by way of greeting. Surprisingly, there were no bags laid out by the door. She usually travelled with an entire wardrobe.

"They have already been sent to the airport ahead of her." Eric said from somewhere within the suite, somehow reading my mind.

I stepped into the suite as Pam had moved away. She hadn't bothered to wave me inside, instead leaving me to sort myself out. She was dressed tonight in typical Pam attire; a cream pair of cotton pants, pumps and a light pink sweater. It was practical and would also be comfortable on the plane.

I still didn't see Eric, even when I was standing in the living room properly. The door to his room was cracked, although that was the only indication that he might be in there. It seemed he was giving us some privacy. Of course it was all an illusion, he would have to leave the floor to actually give us privacy, but the thought was sweet.

Pam whirled around to face me. "Now, you are to keep in touch. None of this 'I am too busy for emailing'. If you're too busy to email, you're too busy to breathe, which would be a shame. You're still my favourite." I laughed at her choice of words. Apparently it wasn't the response she wanted as her eyes narrowed in a glare.

"Okay, I promise. I'm not going to let you two disappear again. I'll be like a naughty puppy, now that I've gotten my teeth into you I won't let go."

"Hmm. You say puppy and I think new vampire. There's a lot that's similar. Except dogs are easier to house train." I couldn't formulate a reply to that, so instead I just enveloped her in my arms, not giving her a chance to object.

"I love you, Pam. I'm sorry for how things turned out and I promise I'll do better." I squeezed her tighter. In a move that melted my heart, her arms snaked around my waist holding me tight too. Her hands were low on my waist, touching my belt.

"Oh, Sookie, you silly human." She whispered when she felt one of my tears on her cheek. When we finally pulled away, it wasn't just my imagination that made me think her eyes were rimmed with red. "Eric, I'll see you in a few days. Don't do anything too stupid, I still want my maker!" With that final remark, she strutted out of the hotel and back out of my life. The tears rolled down my cheeks freely.

Silently, Eric walked up behind me and pulled me back into his chest. He wasn't wearing a shirt and the bare skin against my arms somehow comforted me. I still cried ,but the tears didn't turn into full sobs. It was a horrible though, as Pam had been one of my best friends for so long, but if it had been that awful to say goodbye to her, what would it be like to say goodbye to Eric? I was thankful that my goodbye had been quick and absent of a lot of heartfelt words. It wasn't Pam's style, which also lessened my sadness. She had stuck to who she was. I may have been gone for eighteen months, but she hadn't changed, not really.

"It will be okay." Eric whispered into my hair and then kissed the top of my head. "There should be no tears." He swooped down slightly, pulling away from me too, until his face was level with mine. Then in the most tender gesture I had ever been part of, he kissed my tears away. By the time he was finished, my heart had melted once more and I had to bury my face in his chest. No more tears replaced the ones taken away. I just had to be close to him. His wonderful scent of vampire, ocean and laundry powder washed over me, making me feel safe. At some point it seemed that Eric had become my safety blanket.

As I pulled back to tell him how thankful I was that he was here, my gaze caught the clock on the fire place.

"Shit!" I said. Panic began to rise in my body, making my heart gallop.

"What is it?" Eric asked, worry etched across his face.

"This is going to sound stupid, but I have to run a book club up in Islington in twenty minutes." I was already calculating how long it would take me to get there. It was at least a fifteen minute cab journey and that was if I managed to hail a cab straight away.

"Ah."

"Yeah. I was going to tell you about it, but it seems time got the best of me. You can come with me or you can stay and I'll meet up with you later. It's up to you, but I really have to get going, this is one of my jobs!"

"I will accompany you. I need a shirt." He disappeared from sight and reappeared a few second later fully dressed, with even his jacket on.

"At least you'll be able to meet Amelia. She's one of the members." I rushed out of the door toward the elevators. Eric kept pace with me easily with his long legs.

"Then this should be fun."

I swept through the door of the little independent book store one minute after the class was supposed to have arrived. It seemed Amelia had given everybody warning that I might be late as no one was actually sitting in the circle of chairs that were put out. Amelia was going over the notes she had taken down on the book, probably ready to jump in if I was too late. Amelia didn't have a degree in English, she actually held a bachelors in media and a masters in written media relations, so she wasn't actually supposed to run these sessions.

"There you are!" She cried out, far too loudly for the small bookshop. Every set of eyes turned around to face me. "What the hell happened to you?" She asked, thankfully waiting until I reached her. I let my shoulder bag fall the floor with a thump due to the weight.

"What do you mean?" I had checked my appearance when I left my apartment and I had been fine.

"You're eyes are red like you've been crying, never mind the dark circles underneath them."

_Shit._ It seemed my time with Eric and then saying goodbye to Pam was catching up with me. Timing everything perfectly, Eric chose that moment to enter the store to come and stand beside me. I had left him to pay for the taxi while I rushed in. I had every intention of paying him back later, it was more a matter of whether he would accept it.

"Have you been making her cry?" Amelia turned her stormy gaze on Eric. Her finger even jutted into his chest. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. "You really shouldn't hurt her or you'll have me to contend with." She jabbed him again, right over his sternum. It was ridiculous in some ways; she wouldn't be able to do a damn thing to even slow Eric down, let alone anything more serious. However, it was also really sweet.

"Amelia," I grabbed her outstretched hand gently, pulling it down. "It's not Eric, I said goodbye to Pam just before I got here that's why I was crying. The bags, that's, well, mostly his fault but I was definitely in agreement with his activities shall we say." Her eyes went a little wide and then she cracked a smile. "Okay. Now for introductions." I glanced at Eric and found that he was barely suppressing a chuckle. At least he was trying, that was more than he would do for most people. "Eric, this is my best friend over here, Amelia Broadway. Amelia, this is." I came to a halt for a second having no idea what description to use for Eric. Boyfriend wasn't right for what we were currently doing due to the time frame, friend from back home made him sound more trivial than he could ever be, ex-boss was laughable, the-guy-I was-in-love-with-who-I-had-just-gotten-over-and-am -now-in-love-with-again was too long and the guy I'm shagging for a week was just as ridiculous, despite being true. "My vampire, Eric Northman." Was what I finally settled on. I did notice the sideways glance that Eric gave me with his quirked eyebrow.

Amelia smiled at him, apparently she had been taken over with his beauty now that she wasn't busy standing up for me. She stretched out her hand for a shake, not knowing how to greet vampires. Eric actually responded with the slightest hand shake I had ever witnessed. He didn't particularly enjoy personal contact with most humans. I was one of the few exceptions.

"Nice to finally meet you, I've heard all about you." She really had as well. Out of everyone, she knew the most.

"Really? If it was diabolical it was true, if not then she was dampening everything down." Amelia grinned at him.

"Sookie, I think it's time you start book club. It'll give me plenty of time to talk to Eric." Panic once more welled up inside me. I had no idea what would happen with those two alone and it seemed like I was about to find out, with no option to stop it.

"Right, okay." I gave Eric a glance to make sure he was okay with talking to Amelia. The mischievous grin on his face told me he was up to something, I just had no idea what.

I spent the next hour discussing the merits of The Hobbit with twelve people. Although the class was serious it was also for fun. Homework was given out and wasn't a necessity, but greatly encouraged to be handed in. I collected in the annotations people had written and then dismissed the class with a promise to see them all next week when everyone should have finished the book.

I found Amelia sitting behind some shelves, alone.

"Where's Eric? You didn't scare him off did you?" I was only half joking.

She shrugged her shoulder. "He had a phone call. I have to say that my first opinion, while sober was probably a little wrong." I sat down beside her, using the table as a seat.

"Well, I don't know how much I drank that first night, but it was obviously too much. I didn't realise how freaking hot he was." I burst out laughing. "Have you seen those muscles? I would love to get my hands on that body. You gotta tell me, Sookie. How good is it without clothes?"

"Think Greek statue mixed with gladiator mixed with a God." It was her turn to laugh. "So have you completely let him off the hook for my dark circles?"

"Yeah, when you turned up looking upset I wasn't sure what to think. When it was just you saying goodbye to Pam and he had walked in, putting his arm straight around your waist, I kind of had to rethink. But you know what I'm like. I take it those circles are well deserved?"

"Yeah, but you're not getting any more details. Not yet anyway."

"Does that mean I get them eventually?" She asked, sounding quite hopeful. I had would have been a little worried, had she not been in a very good relationship with her boyfriend.

"Probably. He leaves the night after tomorrow, so you'll probably get them once he leaves." I put a smile on my face, thinking positively that we still had two nights left.

"I do like this look on you, Sookie." Her hand came out to rest on my forearm. I wasn't sure what she was talking about, considering I was wearing an outfit she had seen plenty of times before. "Happiness, hun. You're happy like I haven't really seen you before, not even with the ex. It suits you."

"Even with my circles?" I rested my head on her shoulder.

"Yes. Because now that I look properly, you're eyes are sparkling underneath. You just need to actually sleep properly one of these nights."

"So what did you two talk about?" I asked curiously.

"Mainly about you, but I'm not allowed to say just yet. I'll tell you in time." She kissed the top of my head. Eric just had to choose that moment to get back. He stood in front of us with a smirk on his handsome face.

"It seems you two are close."

"Oh, shut up." I warned him, but there was no power behind my words. "Right, we'll get going then. I'll see you in a few days, Amelia. Love you." I gave her a quick hug, which she returned with a tight squeeze.

We spent the rest of the night flaked out in front of my television. Eric actually carried it into my bedroom, setting it down on the vanity table, so that we could watch from the comfort of my bed. We watched a Dr Who marathon, which included Eric complaining about the historical inaccuracies whenever the Doctor travelled back in time. All through the night, there was always some part of us touching, whether it was simply Eric's hand resting on my lower back while I laid on my front or our entire bodies wrapped up together when I began to get chilly. It was a perfect evening, and it reminded me of lazy nights we used to spend together back in Louisiana. My home state pulled on my heart strings and for the first time in a long while, I actually found myself missing Louisiana.

**So what did you think? Many thanks to my readers and reviewers, the reviews really make me smile. **

**This week has been so hectic, the chapter was good to go yesterday for posting but I fell asleep ridiculously early. I'm exhausted. I'm working all day and then coming back home so that I can prep for the next day! I've started scrubbing in on surgeries and doing minor ones myself. I'm enjoying everything so much; I can endotracheal tube cats & dogs, blood draw, catheterise (urinary and blood vessel), and suture up tissues. Got one more week at this place and then on to another. **

**Booked my 'holiday' recently, going to work with donkeys during my time off. At least it'll be warm and sunny and only a mile away from the beach. **

**See you all next week, hope you have a good one!**


	6. Chapter 5

**A massive thank-you to my wonderful beta Lauinia**

**Disclaimer: I don't own, the Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris**

_My stomach was a nervous pit of energy. It was constantly churning and I hadn't even eaten anything all day. I'd found out this morning that my plans had all fallen into place, plans that I had made quite a while ago. If I was honest with myself, I had pretty much forgotten them, thinking that it would never work out for me, a young waitress from small town Louisiana. Yet, there it was, the letter that could change my future, in the mail this morning. That meant that I had been stewing in my own thoughts all day. _

_I had told Gran, but had sworn her to secrecy, as I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to do. She was absolutely ecstatic and had instantly gone into the kitchen to bake a celebratory cake. Well, after she had given me a bone crushing hug. I knew deep down that I had to take it, an opportunity like this wouldn't present itself more than once in my lifetime. I was left with little choice, I couldn't say no, although my situation had completely changed in the six months that had passed. _

_As soon as the sun started setting, I made my escape from the confines of my home. Gran was still busy decorating the cake she had spent all day making and didn't seem to find it weird that I was running over to Shreveport. I had been dating Eric, by my time frame for about four months. If you asked everyone else, it was six months or even eighteen months depending on who you ask. However, I honestly hadn't cheated on Bill with Eric, despite what some people thought. I admit that we had grown incredibly close, especially in the two months between splitting up with Bill and starting a full relationship, but we weren't actually together then. _

_"Urgh," I muttered to myself as I drove down the highway. My life had become incredibly complicated. It was a good thing that I didn't really care what other people thought of me. I'd spent my entire life being thought of as weird. _

_As I grew closer to Shreveport, my nerves changed to more determined resignation. I knew what I had to do. No matter what we did, this would probably end up being the end of our relationship and I wasn't ready for it to end. However, I had to follow my opportunity. Six months interning in Paris at a cookery magazine was too much to pass up. The possibilities that the internship would open up were practically limitless and I knew, after research, that a lot of people who had done the same programme ended up working in London. _

_I parked in the spare space in the underground parking lot that had Eric's apartment number assigned to it. I'd had my own space here for ages; he had simply moved one of his more impractical cars to a special storage garage elsewhere in the city. From there, it didn't take two minutes to get to Eric's door. I had forgotten my key. _

_"Good evening, Lover." Eric opened the door for me. I quickly stepped into his arms and met his lips for a lingering kiss. "Hmm. Well that is a greeting I appreciate." I had sent him a text earlier saying that I needed to talk to him prior to our date tonight. I had no clue where we were going, but it was still planned. _

_"Hi. Did you get my message?" I still didn't step out of his arms. I enjoyed being in the comfort of his embrace too much to move. _

_"Yes. It will not affect our plans. Is anything wrong?" He pushed the door shut behind me and then carefully directed me toward the living room. I kept myself tucked into his side which he didn't seem to mind at all. _

_"Depends on what you mean by wrong." I started, sighing. I had committed myself to this. "We should probably sit." I knew I was probably giving him the entirely wrong impression, but I had no idea how to do this. Eric sat on the sofa, pulling me down softly with him so that I sat beside him. His right arm draped over my shoulders so that I couldn't escape even if I wanted to. _

_"Talk to me." It wasn't a request. _

_"Can you remember that internship programme in Paris I applied for?" I saw the second I said the words that he remembered and that he knew exactly where this conversation was going. _

_"Yes, I helped you make your application video." It was true, he had helped me. He had recorded me with a camcorder. For the application, along with the essays, forms and letters of reference, I had to complete an original piece. The piece could have been anything, we had free reign. After much thought, I had decided to do a video that went right through the process of making one of my original recipe cupcakes. I went through the recipe and how I had tweaked it from others to make it my own, then moved on to baking, waiting, even the washing up. I ended with the decorating and finally eating one of my own creations. In the acceptance letter, my video had been mentioned specifically and had gone a great way to getting me the placement. _

_"Well, I got a letter in the mail today of acceptance onto the programme." _

_"Are you going?" I couldn't read his tone and his face had shut down into a stone mask. _

_I gulped and said one of the hardest words I could imagine. "Yes." I hugged him tighter to me, burying my face into his chest. "I have to leave in a month, it's just enough time to get everything together." My mind then went reeling for a second with the thought of visas and booking flights. _

_"Sookie, look at me." I slowly lifted my head to look up into his eyes. Gone was the hard stone mask and back was the Eric that I loved. His features were soft, feeling, but underneath was an emotion that I didn't quite grasp until I heard him. "I am happy for you. You deserve this placement and the opportunity." It was pride I could see and hear. Eric was proud of me. Tears began to stream down my face. _

_"I'm terrified. Everything is going to change." His hands moved to cup my cheeks, his thumbs rubbing to wipe away my tears. _

_"Yes. The constant in life is that everything changes, eventually." If anyone had been through change it was Eric. If I didn't know how strong he was, I would never understand how he could have the courage to face all the things he had seen. _

_"I don't want to say goodbye." I stared straight into his eyes, letting him see the pain I was feeling at the prospect of leaving him behind. No matter how much I hurt, I wouldn't ask him to come with me. His answer would have to be no, he had too many responsibilities here and neither of us needed to hear him turn me down. _

_"Then do not. You say you leave in a month?" _

_"Yes." I actually had five weeks until my first day, but they recommended being in the city for about a week prior to get settled. Luckily, I didn't need to find accommodation as the placement came with a house share. _

_"Then we have a month." We would need to talk about this more in the future, what little of it we had left, but I just couldn't bring myself to face it just yet. Right now, I had a month left with Eric. _

_"I love you," I whispered while trying to swallow a sob. _

_"I love you." A single red tear slipped from his eye to run down over his perfect white cheek. I leaned forward and kissed the blood from his skin. _

For obvious reasons, I hadn't gotten a lot of sleep. Since I knew the dark circles under my eyes were visible to other people, I had decided that wearing a little concealer wouldn't go amiss. I hadn't woken up until mid-afternoon, although the time spent in bed didn't correlate with the quality of my sleep. It seemed my subconscious was well aware that I had only two nights left with Eric and was deeming it necessary to torture me with memories of when I had left him the first time.

When I was putting laundry in the washing machine hidden away in my kitchen, I discovered a gift that made my heart swell. Inside the back pocket of the jeans I had worn the day before was a keycard to Eric's hotel suite. The only reason I could come up with that it would be in my pocket was Pam leaving me hers. She must have snuck it into my pocket when she hugged me goodbye. I sent her a text message simply saying 'thank-you' and 'I love you'. Discovering the little piece of plastic had made a grin nearly split my face in half. I had a plan.

I spent the day pampering myself. I took a bath, shaved, buffed and moisturised every bit of my body until I felt as relaxed as I could get. Since I had gotten up so late, it didn't take much for the day to pass by. So, with about an hour to go before he would probably be getting up, I set out for Eric's hotel, arriving with about half an hour to spare. Perfect.

I let myself into the apartment quietly, knowing that this close to his natural waking time it was much easier to rouse him. I left my things on the small table by the door and padded straight into Eric's bedroom. My vampire was sprawled out on his massive bed. The lack of composure told me he'd had a few minutes spare to get comfy before the sun had claimed him for the day. When he fell into sleep without time to spare, he slept straight.

His shorter hair was thrown out behind him while his face was down turned, as though he was trying to burrow into the plump pillows. The sheets were pushed down low on his back, giving me a glimpse of the rise of his wonderfully toned ass. One arm was raised across his head while the other was by his side. It wasn't really his body that got my attention, but rather his face. In sleep, every muscle was relaxed, his lips slightly parted. He actually looked innocent.

I sighed, letting go of all the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm me again and got undressed. I left on my panties, thinking that Eric might appreciate going a little feral with that item of clothing. Next, I clambered into the bed, hoping that it wouldn't dip too much. The quality of the mattress, with supple support, meant that it didn't. I pulled the sheets up on my side, so that the slight chill in the room wouldn't get to me. I even managed to lift his arm enough to slide under. Once there, I snuggled up to him as much as his position would allow, and relaxed into the mattress.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise." My eyes fluttered open. Apparently I'd had enough time to fall asleep. Eric's voice was deepened with sleep. The prospect of what we had planned for tonight, teamed with his voice was enough to make my lower abdomen clench. Eric's arm, which I had placed around me, tightened, pulling me over onto my back. "Good evening." He placed a gentle kiss on my lips, which I happily returned. "Hmm. This is perfect. I had not expected this." He simply seemed happy.

"Well, you said an entire night of not leaving this room. I'm giving you the entire night

I could tell he wanted to say something else in return and I knew what he would have said had it been eighteen months ago. I don't know if I would have been able to handle hearing it. Eventually he seemed to settle for something we could both cope with. "Thank-you."

"I have a feeling it should be me thanking you," I laughed. I rolled over even more until I faced him and could drape a leg over his. The movement pushed my hips further forward and I came into contact with hard proof of how much he wanted this night. "Oh yes, this night is going to be good."

The next day worked much the same as the previous day, except I woke up cradled in Eric's arms. Of course by the time I awoke, he was dead to the world and had been for hours. Still, the presence of him in bed with me kept the horrible dreams and memories away, so I had slept quite well. Getting up to face that last day and night with Eric was difficult. All I wanted to do was stay in bed, pretending that time wasn't passing. However, with a motionless Eric and the real world beckoning, I eventually got up.

I spent the afternoon in my apartment baking as another idea had come to me for the blog. I managed to make a cake roughly the shape of Louisiana. I started out with a square cake that I had carefully sculpted down. I managed the out growths of land in the New Orleans area by rough carving, leaving the crumbs in place to give the uneven edge. Since time was short it would have to wait until tomorrow to be decorated with icing and such, but at least it would give me an intricate task to keep my mind occupied. I had a feeling I would need it desperately.

When the sun began to get low upon the horizon, I once again left my apartment for Eric's hotel suite. I sent Amelia a quick message telling her that Eric would be on the five flight out of Heathrow and as such, I would need her in the morning for a pig out session. I wanted to wake up in Eric's arms once more. I had been lucky and had done just that in the past twenty four hours. I was now being greedy, but I couldn't help it; I wanted to feel close to him.

I let myself into his room again, going through the same routine as the day before. Today however, Eric was sprawled out on his back, exactly where I had left him this afternoon. This time, I was unable to resist taking a quick photograph of his sleeping face. I couldn't get over how innocent he appeared since he was anything but. In his waking hours, no matter how sweet he was being, you would never describe him as innocent. He was turned into a vampire when he was approximately twenty, he couldn't quite recall his exact years anymore. Again, when he was awake, you would peg him at about twenty five. Not that he really looked any older than that. However, he had come from a different time when twenty wasn't as young as it is now. As such, he also seemed to have developed into a man far younger that today's humans did. The confidence he exuded and the intelligence in his eyes, the sort that you could only get through experience, made him seem older.

I finally crawled into bed and settled myself down around his body. One arm went around his waist while a leg wound between his. I got as close as possible to him.

"I love you," I whispered to the empty room and I gasped when I heard the words. I hadn't meant to say them. In fact I had been quite consciously trying not to say them for several days, just to try and ease the pain when we separated. It seemed to me that not acknowledging the depth of our feelings might make it easier to move on. I clamped my mouth shut and closed my eyes so that the tears hopefully wouldn't fall.

I didn't manage to fall asleep. I spent the time ingraining every single detail into my memory. I didn't open my eyes, so I went with what I could feel, his scent. Not falling asleep did however give me one special gift. I got to see Eric's response to finding me naked in bed with him for the second night in a row.

I knew the instant he awoke. A slight tension of just being alive filled his muscle and I heard him sigh. A second later, the arm that I lay against tightened around my waist.

"Sookie," he whispered, still mostly asleep. His hands ghosted down my waist and along my hip. I kissed his chest. Another sigh escaped his lips. "I could get used to this," he said ever so quietly. Again I wasn't entirely sure if I was supposed to hear. When he finally opened his eyes, his gaze turned to me instantly. "Good evening, lover." He greeted me properly with a kiss. I would always be grateful that vampires didn't seem to get morning breath.

"Hi." I replied back with what was probably a goofy smile on my face.

"You look beautiful, as always." When he wanted to, Eric could be a real charmer, he could also be a stone cold killer. However, with me it seemed to be genuine words that he spoke. At least, that's what I'd always taken them to be.

"Thank -you. Not so bad yourself." I let my eyes trail slowly down over his chest to where the blankets covered his torso. The movement was purposefully slow so that he could let it fully sink in that I was openly admiring him. Not that he needed the ego boost.

"See anything you like in particular?" He asked as he swept back the covers, revealing his deliciously naked body. His grin was mischievous and contagious.

"Well, I do quite like your abs." I let my hand trail over the muscles in questions, loving the feel of such hardness just underneath his supple skin. He had the ghosting of a six pack, just the right amount. You could see the muscles clearly whenever he tensed, and see the outlines at all times, but the real magic was when you felt them.

"My stomach? Out of all of this," he waved a hand to indicate his entire body. "You chose my stomach?"

"Well, your chest is pretty awesome too." Again, he had well defined muscles and the spot where his shoulder joined his chest made for an amazing pillow. There was also just a light dusting of pale hair, showing his manly side, without being too much. Not that you could gaze at Eric and think anything but man.

"Really, I would have thought you would have gone with another part of my anatomy." We had had a previous conversation very similar to this, not long after we had first started sleeping together. He knew exactly what I thought about all of him.

"You know very well that I like that too." He quirked his eyebrows at me. "Fine, I love that too. Now, what do you like about me?" I wasn't quite confident enough to pull the covers back to reveal myself. I was spared having to do it as Eric pulled them back, his admiring gaze taking me in.

"I cannot be specific. There is no one part." His hands brushed over my breasts making my nipples tighten. "I must admit, I am quite a fan of everything." His hand settled down onto my stomach, running lower, but veering to the side at the point where I wanted him to keeping touching. "I love that you are a real woman." His hands moved over to the swell of my hips. "You are not just skin and bone, women today are not real." I couldn't help but think that this was turning more into a rant rather than thinking about what he was seeing before him. His hand gripped onto my hip and the flesh covering there. "I am not afraid you will break." I swallowed back the rising jealousy. It was not warranted in this situation as I had no hold over him. "Definitely a perk." He rolled over onto his side a little more and leant down until his mouth was on my breast. "You taste delicious." His tongue flicked out to tease my skin.

I rolled over to face him, ignoring the little breath he let out when he couldn't continue sucking on that section of skin. He was quickly appeased when he started paying attention to my other breast, taking the nipple lightly between his teeth. My own hands got busy as I began to let my body say goodbye to his. I could feel his gracious plenty against my thigh.

"Lover," he whispered the word against my skin. The air cooled my dampened skin sending tingles gliding across.

"Yes?" I moaned out. His other hand chose that moment to finally touch me where I needed.

"Nothing. I just enjoy hearing you sound like that." His eyes darted up to meet my own. The gorgeous blue had darkened with desire. I needed him. It was so simple. He had barely started touching me, and I needed him.

My hand reached down between our bodies to grasp him, somewhat roughly. I was rewarded by a small gasp. Two could play at his game. Too soon for his liking I let go. My leg wound up around his hip, putting our pelvises close together and generating delicious friction.

"Eric." The serious tone in my voice got his attention and he gazed up at me. I didn't have to say anything else. He shuffled up the bed, somehow still appearing graceful. Then he pulled my leg higher up on his hip and simultaneously pulled me closer. The next thing I knew, we were connected. I sighed out my pleasure.

Our hips rocked toward each other slowly. He wasn't deep, but he didn't need to be to have my head swimming in bliss. My arms wrapped around him, holding our torsos together. Our mouths locked on to each other, our tongues exploring languidly as we moved. Eric's cool skin against my own heated flesh just heightened all of the sensations. It was something else, something nice to experience.

"Please." I wasn't entirely sure what I was trying to say. My mind wasn't really connected with my body. All I could think about was moving in synch and holding him close. My head turned into the pillow slightly, taking my mouth away from his. A hand on the back of his head directed him toward my neck. Words weren't needed. His eyes flashed to mine, understanding dawning in his eyes. He didn't ask for permission, he didn't need it as I'd already given it.

"Lover." He said his name for me one more time before his lips met with the skin low down on my neck. He slowly kissed the area, pressing his fangs down, teasing. I wasn't in the mood for teasing.

"Please." On my second request, he bit down. Pain flooded my senses for a second before I relaxed, transforming the sharpness into more pleasure. "Hmm." He rocked forward, harder than before. My grip on his shoulders tightened, I couldn't help but dig my nails in as I _needed_ to grab something. He drew deeply on my neck as he sucked my blood into his mouth, swallowing slowly to savour the taste. One more deep pull and my orgasm exploded through my body. "Eric." His name tumbled out of my mouth along with gasps as my nails gripped into him. My leg around his hips tightened, pulling him in deeper.

I felt more than heard Eric. His body spasmed for a second and he thrust his hips harder. A second later his lips let go of my neck. "Oh, Sookie." His arms wrapped around me, holding me even tighter into his body.

Neither one of us moved for what felt like hours, yet was only minutes. Eventually Eric pulled back slightly, and rolled over onto his back. I went with him as his arms stayed in place. My head ended up using that sweet spot that was neither shoulder nor quite chest as a pillow. My leg was still thrown over his hips although we weren't connected fully anymore.

"I'll miss this," I whispered into his chest when my heart rate had returned to normal.

"Sex or cuddling?" He asked seriously. There was still a smug smile plastered across his smile. Typical guy.

"Both." I replied easily. I squeezed him tightly for a second before stretching languidly.

"Good." It was a bit of a secret but Eric loved to cuddle. Anyone that just knew Eric as the powerful vampire sheriff would have laughed at the prospect. However, to the few people that had gotten close enough to him for his barriers to come tumbling down, his soft side shone through the facade. I was lucky enough to be one of those people.

I rolled over, attempting to get up from the bed, when Eric's arm came down around my waist trapping me. He rolled over too, placing his chest tightly against my back. "Where do you think you are going?" He spoke the words into my ear, so close that I could feel his lips moving.

"I was going to get dressed." I could just imagine him pouting slightly. "I have something that I want to share with you tonight. I think you'll love it."

"More than being here like this?" He sounded doubtful.

"Maybe, well a different kind of love it. Trust me." I turned the phrase that he used on me a lot around on him.

"Okay." He placed a kiss below my ear and then slowly let me go.

While I was busy cleaning up and getting dressed Eric quickly threw all of his things together in his small suitcase. By the time I emerged, clean and fully dress, he was ready, having used the en-suite in Pam's room to freshen up. He was good at travelling light. So it was only about fifteen minutes later that we were on the street walking toward Hyde Park which was only a short walk away. We had detoured via the front desk for Eric to check out and to get his bags sent along to the airport.

Eric's arm was draped, quite possessively, over my shoulder so that I walked close by his side. My own arm was snaked around his waist, underneath his jacket with my hand under his shirt, touching his bare skin.

"Please tell me we are not heading there." Eric warned as we came into site of the massive Christmas decorated archway leading toward Winter Wonderland. They even had an animatronic Santa that greeted you to the area. I personally loved it.

"Of course, it opened up this past weekend. Just give it a shot; it's better than it looks." The corniness of the entry way didn't put me off at all. It reminded me of how much we did for the holiday season back in the States.

"Fine." I laughed at him, knowing that he would be wondering why I had dragged him out of his comfortable hotel bed for this. From the outside, it wouldn't appear that it would appeal to Eric at all. I however knew the things it possessed and he would enjoy it.

"Although, I will have to spend some time being a human and get some food." The thought of food, mixed with the cat that got the cream grin on Eric's face reminded me of the tenderness that encompassed the right side of my neck. You couldn't see the marks due to my clothes but I knew they were there. I couldn't help but snuggle a little closer into his side. "Just be grateful I'm not making you pose for a photo." I told him as we walked past a small queue of tourists that were waiting near a talking animatronic moose head.

The glorious scent of all the different foods assaulted my nose as we walked through the 'village'. The front of Winter Wonderland was set up like a log cabin village. Half of the stalls sold small gifts and Christmas decorations while the other half was full of food stalls. I also knew from experience their hot chocolate spiked with Baileys or Disaranno was amazing. When we reached a stall that was selling beef burgers and fries, I stopped, unable to resist the temptation. That was one of the brilliant things about being with Eric, even if we were on a date, he didn't care what I ate. My blood did reflect my diet to some extent, but my extra powers seemed to be represented in the taste, so my diet wasn't of concern.

Eric brandished his credit card at the cashier before I managed to get my card across the counter. I even had my wallet out, trying to beat him. His smirk told me that he had known what I was doing. When we continued to walk through the village, with me now holding my dinner, his arm draped once more over my shoulders.

"I hear ice skating." He told me just before we hit the carnival area. The village was about to give way to a massive fun fair filled with rides, sweet stalls, a circus and fun houses. At the back they even had a few rides that you could class as roller coasters.

"Yep." That was the main thing I had been thinking of when bringing Eric here. Instead of turning us toward the ice skating rink, I turned left toward the carnival. I still needed to finish my food and let it settle before anything more strenuous than walking. "We'll go there soon."

"How did you discover this place?"

"Amelia brought me here my first week in London, although it was a little closer to the holidays. Fancy having a laugh in the haunted house?" I had finished as much of my food as I could manage and placed it in the trash and recycling. There was a bank of different fun houses lined up on our left, ranging from the ghost train/haunted house mix to the walk through glass maze.

"Of course. I doubt it can be as bad as the one in Shreveport." My second Halloween with Eric, just before I had broken up with Bill, we had gone around the various themed events in Shreveport. We had gone to a horror maze. Despite it not being Halloween night, as I would be working on the thirty first, we had dressed up. The following night would be my Halloween with Bill, who refused to dress up. I went as Little Red Riding Hood while Eric was Prince Adam from Beauty and the Beast. Originally he wanted to be Prince Eric, but when I told him he could only do that if he dyed his hair he had changed his mind. I think he actually preferred being Prince Adam as he got to show off his muscles. Anyway, when we had been going round the horror maze, one of the attendants had gotten a little too grippy with me in his zombie guise, Eric had flashed his fangs causing the zombie to go running. It had been hilarious.

Knowing better than to argue, I let Eric pay for our tickets and joined the small queue. When we finally got into the buggy, Eric had to slink down in his chair so that his head wasn't sticking out of the top. The ride attendants were decked out in typical store bought Halloween costumes. The one who secured us into the buggy by lowering the safety bar was dressed in a skeleton onesy.

The ride jerked into motion and we set off on our slow journey through the haunted house. Fake cobwebs were draped from every surface, dangling down to brush against our heads. I leant down slightly and further into Eric, using the excuse of not wanting to get stuff in my hair. Eerie music played in the background and the darkness secluded most things from my view.

"Can you still see everything?" I whispered to Eric as we rounded the first corner and climbed a steep hill.

"Of course." I wondered what it would be like to go on one of these things and know how everything worked. I didn't find these things scary, never had done, but to see all of it must take out a lot of the fun. However, he chuckled as we reached the top of the hill and a Dracula themed vampire sprang up from a coffin. Apparently he could still find them amusing.

I turned to watch everything playing out to our right as we slowly made our way back down through the building. Witches flew about on broomsticks, ghosts hid in mirrors and the boogeyman threatened to crawl out from underneath a bed. Something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and I turned my head.

"Argh!" I squealed in genuine fear or shock as I came face to face with a massive, furry tarantula. I shuffled closer to Eric, away from the eight black eyes staring back at me. By the time my mind had caught up, my heart was thundering in my chest. Of course the tarantula was just a stuffed toy on a piece of fishing wire. It dangled, turning in a slow circle. Eric's laughter filled my ears and I felt the blush instantly warming my cheeks "Shut it." I nudged him, trying to sound serious, but laughter tinged my own words.

"I cannot believe you screamed." Eric told me as we exited the buggy about thirty seconds later. He was still laughing silently. His eyes sparkled.

"I didn't _scream!_" I retorted, leading him towards the ice rink to hopefully take his mind off of what had happened. "It was a squeal if anything. And it was from surprise! I hadn't seen it there." I was beginning to sound a little petulant.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself. But when I tell Pam, it will be a scream of fear." I shoved his shoulder which didn't do a damn thing. He didn't even stumble slightly, even though he was mid step.

"You know what I'm like with spiders. My brain reacted before it had processed everything." My fear was pretty bad. In my childhood I'd had to wake up Gran many times to get rid an eight legged visitor in my room. A couple of years ago I'd discovered a massive spider in my bathroom in my college house. Everyone else had been out on a night out and I'd just got back from a shift at Fangtasia. I'd called Bill for moral support while I tried to kill it, whilst hoping that he would come help me. I received no such support, just a laugh and a small pep talk to get on with it. After that, Bill had hung up the phone, stating that he had some work to do before dawn. I had called Eric next, at this point just wanting someone to talk to while I plucked up courage. While we were chatting on the phone, he had turned up on my doorstep to save my damsel in distress moment.

"I am still sticking to my version of events." We made it to the ticket office for the ice skating rink, buying a couple for the next time slot which luckily started in fifteen minutes. It gave us just enough time to go and get changed. We just had to hope they had skates big enough for Eric's feet.

"Have you been skating before?" He asked as he helped guide me up the carpeted slope to the ice. Everyone from the previous hour had already vacated the rink.

"Nope, the time that you almost took me would have been the first. Never had the opportunity since." It wasn't strictly true, I had the opportunity, just not the willingness to try it out.

"Ah. Then I will have to show you." I had a feeling he was going to start showing off as soon as we hit the ice. A few seconds later my hunch was proven correct as he literally skated circles around me as I clung desperately to the wooden hand rail.

"Show off." I mumbled under my breath as I inched forward. I felt like it was enough trouble to maintain my balance, let alone keep moving forward. I grumbled again as Eric switched to swirling in a backward circle.

"I had to show you how good I was." His face was alight with happiness, his smile showed pure joy. I knew this would take him back to simpler times, probably even his human life. "Here, take my hand." He slowed down to ease into place beside me. He held out his right hand which I gratefully grasped. "I will not let you fall." I trusted him, yet couldn't quite manage to take my hand off of the rail. "You need to push backward and slightly to the side." Slowly he showed me the movement he had described using his own legs, although he managed to not actually go very far.

"Okay." I gripped his hand even tighter. His skin was cool since we were surrounded by the ice. I wish I had thought to put my gloves on. Usually his cool, environmental temperature body didn't bother me. The exception was when it was freezing.

"Yes. Well done." I tried moving for the first time and managed to ease myself forward without losing my balance. A smile of triumph lit up my face. "Now, do that without looking at your feet." I had been staring intently at what my legs had been doing. "Look at me."

I lifted my head and set my chin, determined to not look down again. Well, at least for another thirty seconds. I stared across at Eric and the grin that still decorated his face. He looked devastatingly handsome. The lack of stress in his eyes gave him more youth. Behind him I could see the small band stand. Fairy lights twinkled across the roof, both on the inside and out. A Christmas garland was intertwined with the lights and even went down the posts found in each corner. A band played in the centre, which was probably more a small orchestra due to the instruments they were playing. Against a backdrop of Christmas trees. Bruno Mar's Marry You filled the air as the singer sang softly to piano accompaniment. I found myself softly singing the words as I focused on anything but what my feet were doing.

"You can let go of the rail." Eric laughed as his gaze watched me, intently taking everything in. I was sure I looked ridiculous, but in that moment I just didn't care. His words however, came a few seconds too slow. Just as I was about to comply, pain shot through my hand.

Everything happened very quickly. Eric came to a sudden stop directly in front of me, catching my still moving body with his hands on my upper arms. I lifted my hand from the rail, causing even more pain. I saw dark red blood pooling in my palm, threatening to spill down onto the ice. I pulled my injured hand into my chest instinctively. There was a jagged cut into the skin between my thumb and index finger, going down quite deep.

"Fuck," I muttered as I hissed against the pain. I couldn't move my thumb without it feeling like the cut was splitting further. By this point I could smell the blood at the back of my nose, leaving a metallic tint to my mouth.

"Come here." Eric pushed me back, moving expertly on the ice, so that I could rest against the side boarding. Next he carefully grasped my wrist in his large hands and brought the cut up toward him slowly. He gave me every chance to say no, but I didn't want to. All I wanted in the second was for the stinging to stop along with the bleeding it. Him taking my blood didn't matter anymore, we'd already crossed that barrier.

In an almost sensual movement, he brought the cut up to his mouth. His tongue lapped slowly, being careful not to disturb the traumatised edges of my skin. He didn't draw back on the wound to get my blood, I don't even think he swallowed. Eventually the ebb of blood flow slowed, helped by the tight pressure he kept on my wrist. With one final lick, he moved my hand away and changed his grip to one handed. His freed hand was brought back up to his mouth and he dragged the pad of his index finger sharply across his fangs which had already run down. His own blood quickly flushed to the surface, spilling down finger. He brought his finger down to touch my skin, feather light. His blood dripped down and instantly the tingling sensation began. I closed my eyes and simply breathed through it. It didn't take very long and a few second later when I opened my eyes it appeared that my skin had knitted together.

"Do not move yet," Eric cautioned. He carefully licked my skin clean, followed by his own finger.I had indeed healed; there wasn't even a pink mark. There would be no evidence at all that anything had marred my skin. When Eric reached to my side slightly I followed his movement. There was a small, yet sharp looking chunk of wood sticking up from the handrail. He simply split it off from the plank, leaving the surface relatively smooth. He threw the chunk into a trash can that was about twelve feet away, down the hill that the rink had been built on.

"Thank -you." I leaned forward to give him a tight hug, which he returned. I hoped he wouldn't make a big deal out of the incident. If I hadn't had him nearby it would have been worse, but a few sutures would have solved the problem.

"You are welcome." He kissed the top of my head and then pulled back, returning to his previous stance of holding my hand. "Can you remember what I told you?"

"Sure." The entire exchange due to my cut had taken a couple of minutes at the absolute most.

"Good. No more holding onto the side." He tugged me closer to him and I trusted him enough to let my feet move. I just had to keep my balance. "Let us go." I kicked out to the side slightly, like he had told me and we were moving. I knew that he was the power behind my movement, but it was nice to know that I was at least keeping my balance and going through the motions.

I watched Eric as we moved around the rink. The band had changed to play _All I Want for Christmas is You._ He moved effortlessly, yet with power in every stride. It was beautiful to watch. He was even out-shining the rink employees who were there to keep an eye on everyone, although apparently they hadn't noticed my little incident. For a few seconds, he threw his head back, a smile splitting his face just so he could enjoy the moment. His hand tightened around mine, our fingers interlaced.

"Everybody off the ice!" An employee yelled from the safety of the carpeted slope.

Hearing the words Eric's eyes snapped open. Showing off once more he spun in front of me, travelling backwards and pulling me to him. We glided to a stop near the back of the bandstand. My giggles of delight had barely stopped when his lips made contact with mine, in a searing kiss. One hand tangled into my hair, angling my head the way he wanted it, while his other rested on my lower back, holding me tightly to his body.

"Sookie," he whispered against my lips. Tears sprang up into my eyes and I had to fight to keep them from falling.

"Oh, Eric," I replied, words that I had forbidden myself from speaking on the tip of his tongue.

"No tears." He whispered, one finger going to rest against my lips as though he knew exactly what I had been about to say. He placed one more, chaste, kiss against my lips and then pulled me into a tight hug.

When we released each other, his hands found mine and he lead us safely back to the ramp. I didn't need my telepathy to hear the few people left on the ramp 'awwing'. One older woman even told me that we made a beautiful couple. I could only smile at her as a blush crept up my cheeks. I quickly brushed my fingers underneath my eyes, wiping away the tears that had begun to spill.

"Hey guys," an overly chipper young woman broke in. "Would you like to pose?" She held up the massive camera that was hanging around her neck. The words 'no thanks' were already forming when Eric pulled me tightly into him, arms holding possessively once more. I went into autopilot and simply smiled for the camera. The standard clicks sounded as the photograph was taken. "Here's your photograph ticket. You can look at them anytime that Winter Wonderland is open for the rest of the season." Her outstretched hand held a small ticket stub with a number scrawled across the front. Before I could reach out for it, Eric was already there.

"Can I get a copy of that too?" I asked. The girl frowned, probably wondering why we couldn't just share one but did indeed scrawl the same number down on another stub.

"Here you go. There's some from your time on the rink too. Have a good night." With that she skated off to chat to the band until the next lot of skaters filled the ice. I slipped the ticket stub into the back pocket of my jeans and off we went toward the slope that would get us onto non slippery land.

It didn't take long for us to hand back our skates and collect our belongings. Within a few minutes we had exited the cabin to get to the back of Winter Wonderland.

"I have one more thing I want to do," I told Eric who had gone back to draping his arm across my shoulders.

"What is that, lover?" He asked and it might have just been my imagination, but I thought his tone was more disheartened than it had been.

"The wheel. It's no London Eye, but it's pretty good." I pointed across the back path to where the queue wound around for the wheel.

"Okay. Let me get us two tickets." I didn't even bother to try and argue with him, there would be no point.

"Okay. I'm just going to grab a hot chocolate to warm up, I'll meet you in the queue." His fingers squeezed my hand for a second and then he walked away toward the ticket office.

As soon as he left my side, I practically sprinted over to a drinks stall which was out of sight of the ticket office. My heart hammered in my chest and my breath was coming in gasps. I couldn't get enough oxygen. What had happened on the ice wasn't supposed to have happened. It was a tiny amount of his blood in me, and I hadn't rejected it in the moment, but I could feel it. I could feel the connection between us had gotten even stronger instantly. I hadn't wanted us to get this connection again, it would make anything more painful. Even half an hour after his blood had entered my body, I had almost told him I loved him.

"Fuck," I said to the air. I leant against the side of a cabin, my hands on my knees. I had to keep myself together. I had only a few hours left. "You can do this, Sookie. Make the most of it, girl." I drew one hand roughly down over my face and then patted my cheeks roughly. "You can do it." I took in a deep breath for the count of three and let it out just as slowly. My heart rate began to calm down. As my heart slowed I didn't feel like I was gasping quite as much. "I can do this." I told myself, putting as much strength into my voice as possible while keeping my voice quiet.

I pushed myself up from the cabin wall and made my way around to the front to get myself a hot chocolate. The shot of Baileys I was planning on getting in it would hopefully help me keep myself in check and give a little courage.

By the time I made it back to Eric, hot chocolate carefully grasped in my hands, I had managed to get full control of myself. He didn't say anything when he saw me, so I doubt he suspected anything. He wasn't actually in the queue, rather standing off to one side.

"Did you get the tickets?" I asked, stepping into his side.

"Yes. I actually got us a private pod. We just have to wait for it to come around. Approximately five minutes." He pointed to a pod that had a little more white metal surrounding it that the others, separating it from the normal pods. There was another one exactly like it on the other side of the wheel. I didn't say anything about the extravagance of him getting us a private pod as I liked the idea.

We stood in silence, just enjoying having the other close, as we waited for the pod. I finished my hot chocolate with a lick of my lips. I would have to invest in a bottle of Baileys for winter nights so that I could make my own. Personally I would have gone a little heavier on the alcohol. It wasn't long before the guy watching the queues and directing people into pods waved us over. Eric took my hand once more to lead me over to our private pod.

"You two just remember there are cameras now," the guy told us light heartedly, even sending us both a wink. The flash from his mind told me they'd had people get into some compromising positions, usually under the influence of quite a lot of alcohol. He sealed the door leaving us alone in a mainly glass pod which gave us a panoramic view of London.

"Come here." Eric stood at the tip of the pod, just where it started to curve around to form the end of the oval. He didn't turn around to look at me while he spoke, instead he just held one of his hands out behind him. I walked quickly to his side and grabbed his outstretched hand. I was quickly pulled in front of him where he wrapped his arms snugly around my waist. "You are not moving." His tone told me that I really didn't have a choice, not that I wanted to move anyway. It was pretty much perfect exactly where I was.

"What is going to happen?" I asked him quietly, unable to keep quiet. We had spoken about what we were doing one night in my apartment. However we hadn't spoken about it again and I thought, maybe even hoped, that things had changed for the better for both of us.

"I do not know. No one can accurately predict the future. We stay in contact, despite the difficulties. I see you if you visit Louisiana and I see you if I ever visit Europe." It made me smile how he didn't just say London. It made me think that he would be willing to tag a trip to London on to any European trip he made.

"I don't want you to take this wrong, Eric. Please understand that I'm thinking of what's best for you. I want you to move on, again. I want you to be happy. I don't think either of us can do anything more than a friendship long distance." I felt his nose burying into my hair and he pulled me slightly tighter into his chest. Tears were welling up in my eyes again. I stared out across the park without blinking, hoping that they wouldn't fall.

"If I am to move on, then you are too. You deserve happiness, Sookie. If it is not with me," he stopped and I heard him swallow. "You deserve happiness." Eric's nature was probably holding him back from saying more. Saying that I deserved happiness, even if I couldn't be with him was more than I thought he would be able to manage. "Be happy and be safe is all I ask." He kissed my hair.

"I'll miss you. Hell, I'm pretty sure I miss you already and you haven't even left yet." Tears were beginning to roll silently down my cheeks.

"I will miss you."

Once more we became quiet, both deep in thought. I brought Eric's arms around me more, so he was encompassing my shoulders too. I felt like I needed a security blanket. We stared out from the pod across the park and to the city beyond its limits. The past week had held more than I could ever imagine. I had never, not even in my more optimistic days, anticipated that I would find Eric here in this city. It also hurt that he hadn't been able to track me down before he arrived here, was I really that out of touch? I vowed to myself in the little pod, surrounded by Eric's scent, that I would stay in contact. I needed him in my life in some capacity. Yes, it would hurt me when he moved on and found other people to share his undead life with, but it would hurt even more to not know him at all.

All too soon we had gone the full way round the wheel and the still smiling attendant opened the pod for us. He refrained from making any comments about our intimate stance when he saw my face. I'd already heard them in his head. I also knew the instant he saw my face, with tear marks and bloodshot eyes. He wasn't going to say a word.

Neither me nor Eric said anything as we walked arm in arm toward the exit of the park. We didn't need to say anything to know that it was time to leave. A taxi was hailed on the corner to take us back to my apartment rather than get the tube. We even stayed quiet during the ride, choosing instead to hold the other. Every thirty seconds Eric would kiss my face, stroke my hair or touch me softly somewhere. Of course I was doing the same to him, trying desperately to ingrain as much of him as possible into my mind. I knew that it wouldn't do a bit of good, memories were never quite as good as the real thing, but I had to try. The journey to my apartment was surprisingly quick and it seemed like no time at all before we were standing somewhat awkwardly in my living room.

"Just one second." I didn't have time ask him what he was doing. He had already walked away into my bedroom only to emerge a couple of seconds later. "I dropped this one night." He held up his American driving license. "It must have fallen out of my pocket one night. It was under your bed." I shrugged it off without thought as he slipped the little piece of card back into his wallet.

"Oh, okay. Sorry, I didn't see it." My arms were still crossed across my chest.

"You would not have, do not worry. It was under the bed." Eric walked over to me, standing so that our chests were almost touching.

For a second I simply stared up into his arms. It was only a second. The next instant, my arms had unfolded and my hands were gripping tightly onto his sides as though I wasn't ever going to let go. We didn't say a word. It wasn't just me that was feeling the intensity. Eric quickly placed a hand on my hip and another on my lower back so that he could close the distance between us.

Our kiss was fervent, full of passion and heat. Every single moment was seared into my mind. The kiss slowed until it was more of a caress. When we finally parted, I didn't dare open my eyes. Eric laid his cheek on the top of my head while he continued to hold me close. Tears fell from my closed eyes, splashing down my cheeks onto his shirt.

"Thank -you," I whispered into his chest. It felt like a time for whispers even though there was no need.

"What for?" He didn't bother to move either.

"This week." Okay, so it was a little over a week, but we both knew what I meant. "This time. I loved every minute of it."

"Do not thank me, Sookie. You make it sound like it was a chore. I would not have changed it at all." He accentuated each utterance with a kiss to the top of my head. Slowly he untwined my arms from around his waist, but let me keep them resting on his chest. Without saying a word, he gently kissed away my tears which only made more fall. My hands tightened on his shirt, rumpling the material. While I was staring back at him, letting him take the lead, he took a deep breath. He let the breath out in a deep sigh. "Lover." He whispered his pet name for me as though it held more power than it did. "Sookie." I realised then that he couldn't bring himself to say goodbye.

"Eric. My vampire." With my final words he kissed my forehead, letting his lips linger and then he stood up straight. Our time together was over. I let my hands fall to my sides and closed my eyes softly. I couldn't watch him walk away as he had watched me walk away. I heard the door open and a second later shut. My vampire was gone.

"Oh, Eric." I whimpered. "I love you." I burst into tears and leant back against the door, only to slide down to the floor a second later.

**A big thank-you to all of my reviewers and readers, especially Arya S and my other guest reviewers**

**I've had a fantastic work of surgeries, including my first solo operation! It's amazing beyond words for me. I can't wait to go back to this placement. Onto a different practice next week. **

**I'm going to be going without an internet connection for three weeks (2 weeks while on placement and then I'm going on a camping/walking holiday in Scotland with all the dogs which could prove interesting). I'll try and update at least for the next two weeks. **

**Hope everyone is enjoying the sun (especially if you're in the UK as apparently it's supposed to last for a little bit longer!). Have a good week**

**LF91**


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own, the Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris**

**A massive thank- you to my wonderful beta lauinia :)**

About half an hour later, I heard the front door open and close softly as Amelia let herself into my apartment. I had managed to drag myself into my bedroom and cuddle up on my bed. At first I had pulled one of the pillows Eric had used into me, both cuddling up to it and using it as a pillow. That was until I had found something lying underneath. To say I was startled was an understatement.

That was how Amelia found me; sitting on my bed, legs folded, grasping a necklace in my hands. I saw through Amelia's eyes what I looked like. I was actually a little surprised she didn't take me to hospital, or something like it. My face was swollen, my eyes were puffed up even more and I was blotchy.

"Hey, Sook," she greeted me softly as she sat down on the bed beside me. Her arms went around me and she rested her head on my shoulders, letting me know that she was there for me.

"He left his necklace." I whispered, unable to tear my eyes away from what I was holding. I could feel her confusion.

"He bought you jewellery?" She asked, thinking that was the only way to make sense of what I had said in that tone. "It's pretty interesting, not very feminine though." She reached out to touch the charm, but thought better of it just as her fingers were about to touch the metal.

"No. This is _his_ necklace. He left it here." More confusion rolled from her brain.

"Do you need to mail it back?" I shook my head; there was no way this was an accident. "Okay, Sookie, you're going to have to explain, hun. I'm not following." She kissed my shoulder.

"This is Eric's necklace, he's had it for quite literally centuries. He never takes it off and I mean never. There's two he has; one is an anchor and the other is an eagle's talon dipped in metal. There's no way this could have been left here without him intending to. I just don't know why." My voice was quiet and I spoke while my mind was elsewhere, running through all the possibilities.

"Well, I think hun, it probably means he loves you. If he's willing to part with something so special to him, it means you're freaking special to him too." More tears began to stream down my cheeks.

"We said that this was nothing serious and that we wouldn't let ourselves fall, or anything." I leaned into her, letting her support me.

"Well, do you love him?" I nodded my head. "Then you both obviously broke that, but were just too stubborn to say anything to each other. Which I sort of get, but don't at the same time. If you love someone you have to grab them by the ears and hold on." I laughed despite myself but it was humourless.

"Oh, God. Amelia, what have I done?" With that I buried my face in her shoulder. My throat was too choked up to speak properly.

_**EPOV **_

"Pam!" I yelled. I sat in my office and had already gone through two bottles of blood. I knew that my vampire side shone through more strongly when I was hungry. Apparently hunger was not my issue. I knew it was not but it had not stopped me from trying to quench my feelings via blood. "Pam!" I could hear her steps quicken down the hallway. She did not bother to knock on the door as she burst in. Her eyes were wide when she first stepped inside; obviously thinking something terrible was happening. When all she saw was me pacing behind my desk, her expression returned to her usual mask of boredom.

"What do you want?" She folded her slender arms across her chest.

"Have you finished the stock check? I need to get that order processed." She had the indecency to roll her eyes.

"No, I haven't finished an entire stock check in an _hour_. We're not out of anything, the order will be fine being placed tomorrow. Don't get your panties in a twist."

"You need to work faster. This should have been done while I was away, yet the task is still not complete." My hand gripped onto one of the empty bottles of blood. I needed to invent a vampire stress toy. I had tried many of the human varieties, yet they had all been destroyed within a few seconds.

"Fucking calm down. If you haven't forgotten, I was away with you too." Her hip popped out to the side.

"You came back earlier than I did, giving you the chance to have the task completed." She did not need to remind me that she had come back three nights earlier than I. It was a reminder that I had only had three more nights with Sookie than her.

"You will not take your frustration out on me, Eric. Just because your mind isn't here and you need to get rid of some _feelings." _She spat the word as those it tasted worse than chicken blood. "I deserve more respect than that."

I threw the bottle in my hand harshly against the wall. It hit exactly where I had wanted, a foot to the right of her head. The velocity had even caused her hair to move in the breeze it created. She did not flinch. When she stepped forward she moved slowly through the shards, making them crunch under her stilettos.

"I will not take this, Eric." She jabbed a finger in my direction. "You are caught up on fucking Sookie Stackhouse again. I knew this would happen. What the fuck did you do in those three nights? You were fine when I left. When you get back, this is what I get." She shrugged her shoulders, annoyance radiating out of every pore.

"She dragged me down into her human world. That is what happened." The need to cause damage swelled up inside of me. My muscles ached with the need to tense. If I had an opponent worthy enough, a good old fashioned brawl would have been exactly what I needed.

"Oh, just tell me already." Pam sat down in one of the guest chairs. She draped one leg over the other, crossing them at the knee and began filing away at one of her nails which appeared to already be perfectly manicured. "If you don't, I'll just drag it out of her."

"You will do no such thing." I went back to my pacing; at least it was movement.

"Then just fucking tell me. Then I know what I can say that won't result in you slapping my head." Anger built up inside me once more threatening to overspill. I closed my eyes even as I continued to pace and pushed it back down. It would do no good to hit Pam, no matter how good it would feel for a moment.

"We dated." She glanced at me, telling that my words were not good enough. "I met her best friend." A best friend was a foreign term to us, we did not categorise our friendships or alliances by such terms. However, after spending time with Sookie, we both knew how much that term meant to her. "She made us go fucking ice skating." Even Pam had only ever been ice skating with me once.

"Blood?" It was only one word but I knew all of the questions she was really asking.

"Yes. I took hers on the last night. We exchanged when she cut herself. It was not intentional." I had once tricked her into taking my blood, just go get it into her system. It was not something I regretted, yet I definitely would not consider it one of the finer moments of my undead existence. "She is in my head." I could feel her blood in my veins and I was intrinsically connected to her. For example, this very second I knew she was upset. That had been the overwhelming emotion since I had left. I knew it was knowing that I was the cause of her pain that had me feeling so restless. I was not used to feeling powerless in any situation. It was not an emotion with which I wished to get better acquainted.

"You have to ride it out. It's your own damn fault."

"How can I ride it out? I hate it. I cannot stand having these extra feelings in me. There is an ocean separating us. Right now, she is upset and there is absolutely nothing I can do." Nothing that I was willing to do was more accurate. However, I understood my limitations and responsibilities in this situation. As did Sookie. She never once asked me to stay. The pen holder went flying. I had tapped into enough of my strength for the metal to scratch paint from the wall.

"Will you get a grip before you ruin this office. I do not wish to decorate it again." In all the years that we had owned Fangtasia, even before vampires came out of the coffin, the office had been redecorated once. That was eighteen months ago. "You were together with her for what, a week?"

"A little over."

"Right. You were together for a little over a week. I know you took blood. I still don't understand why you are this worked up. What aren't you telling me?" She flipped the nail file onto the desk, not caring about it at all.

"I heard something as I left." Pam continued to stare at me until I continued. "As I stepped into the elevator I heard say 'I love you'." Pam's expression didn't change.

"Again, I repeat, so? She's loved you for years, we all knew it. Everyone except you two anyway. Although even you knew it longer than she did. You loved her for awhile too. After you got over just wanting to get into her pants. You moved on." It was when she said those words that everything that I had been saying clicked into place. Her mouth gaped slightly. "You're in love with her. Again."

"Yes." There was no point denying it from Pam now that she had figured it out.

"What is it about Sookie? Women have always loved you and yet I never saw you fall for any of them. Over a century and I think the longest one lasted a month, and that was me! Then along comes Sookie." She shook her head.

"You feel it too."

"Yes. I admit, she's remarkably good fun for a breather, definitely my favourite. I just don't understand the extent of your feelings." She shook her head. I went back to wearing a bare patch into the carpet.

"She surprises me. After over a millennia that is a rare treat." I would not be able to explain my feelings to Pam. She would never be able to understand.

"Wait." I paused on my path. I had just turned around, so was essentially facing Pam as she relaxed in the chair. "Where is your necklace?" She said the words as though she already knew the answer.

"With Sookie." I had managed to orchestrate a plan to leave it in her possession. I had no idea whether she had found it yet, but she would. Of course I had not lost my driver's licence underneath her bed. It was stowed safely in my wallet and as such would not work loose from my trousers being simply thrown to the floor.

"Oh, just flippin' great. You're serious about all this." I squashed down the rage again. I did not do flippant very often. Even if I did feel like being jovial, I would not choose this as my topic.

"Yes. Do you have any helpful suggestions?" She actually snorted. "If your suggestions include anything regarding rebound, sex with another, or hunting you may as well leave." She stood up to leave. "Fine. Go and do the inventory. I expect it completed by the end of the night." She continued to walk toward the door. I really needed to let my fists connect with something. My undead life would be worth even less if I did any more damage to this office. "We have not questioned the bar tender in awhile." Since the' Sookie Effect', as it was referred to by Fangtasia staff, we regularly questioned our higher members of staff. It was nothing specific, more to check that they were not partaking in anything that I did not approve of. "Send in Long Shadow."

_**END EPOV**_

That night Amelia stayed with me, although I slept on Eric's side of the bed. It was nice to just know that someone else was there. It was comforting. She must have worked as my own personal dream catcher as I had a, thankfully, dreamless sleep. When I awoke late in the morning, it was to the scent of frying food permeating the air.

"There you are," Amelia greeted me. She was busy moving bacon around the largest frying pan I owned. I loved to cook and bake, it was partly my job, so my kitchenware was extensive. "I thought you might appreciate some comfort food." She waved her arm around, finally causing me to notice the extent of her cooking. There was a stack of buttercream pancakes, with a bottle of maple syrup next to them, a plate of sausages, eggs, tomatoes and hash browns. "There's also French toast keeping warm in the oven."

"Wow. How did you find all this stuff here?" My cupboards were usually well stocked for baking, but I didn't keep much of a normal food reserve, preferring to eat fresh.

"I brought it with me last night and stashed it." She finished with the bacon which I was very pleased to see was streaky and cooked to just the right amount of crispiness.

"You're a life saver. Have I ever told you I love you?" I asked as I gave her a quick hug around the middle. Next, I moved to my plates, pulling two out.

"You may have mentioned it. I couldn't find any Hershey's chocolate, or your peanut butter stash. So if you want those for pancakes, you'll have to dig them out." Amelia didn't like her pancakes with anything more creative than maple syrup, even that had taken some persuasion at first. I did indeed grab the items from my baking supplies cupboard and joined her in cramming food onto a plate.

"What are you doing with today?" I asked her as we settled down on the sofas.

"Keeping you company. Book club is tonight, do you want me to take it?" She offered.

"No. I'm not going to mope too much, hopefully. I need to keep doing stuff. I think keeping my mind occupied will help." The bacon was divine.

"In that case, you won't mind helping me with an article I'm working on."

"Not at all."

That set up the day. I spent the afternoon helping Amelia write the article, which didn't take much. Through that, I decorated the cake I had created. The large section was covered in orange, self coloured, regal icing. The edges were covered in frosting that I managed to get the same shade. I then added details such as place names and even the main highways, written in icing. I finished it all off by writing Louisiana diagonally across it in an elegant, scrawling script. Of course, I had nothing to do with the cake except make it the focus of a blog post and post photos on the internet. It would probably go down to the shelter.

I finally grabbed a shower before we headed out for the book club. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I had Eric's necklace around my neck, the chain so long that the anchor fell between my breasts. I didn't care. This way, I could keep it private. The bite marks on my neck were still present but healing rapidly, thanks to both the nature of the bite and the small amount of Eric's blood I'd taken into my system last night. I couldn't ignore the connection that the small amount of sharing had caused. I had known the instant he had fallen into sleep this morning and I knew I would feel it when he awoke for the day. I both hoped for and dreaded the day when it would wear off.

Book club wasn't too bad. It was another book that I had read many times; Great Expectations. The book had also only been introduced last week so the members were only expected to get so far. There wouldn't be too many in-depth questions. Amelia agreed that I held my own.

When it came time to leave, Amelia offered to spend the night with me again, if I needed it. I managed to convince her otherwise. I needed to get back into the swing of things quickly. She hadn't acted like this when I broke up with my ex a few weeks back. Hell, I hadn't reacted like this when we broke up.

By the time I made it back to my apartment, I was dead on my feet. Tina was already curled up on my bed, waiting for me to snuggle apparently. Once alone I admitted how much my body seemed to physically ache for Eric. Even I thought it was a little ridiculous, yet. You feel what you feel. When I was in bed, darkness consuming my bedroom, I pulled my phone out. He wasn't awake yet, given the time difference it was only mid afternoon, but I still texted him.

_Thank- you. I received your gift. It means more than you think. _

After that, I turned my phone off, not wanting to keep checking my phone for a reply that wouldn't come for several hours if it came at all. Instead, I switched on my iPod and started a mellow playlist so that I could fall asleep. Focusing on the lyrics might keep my brain from wandering into dangerous territory.

I awoke the following morning, when I switched my phone on, to a text message from Eric. It got the first smile out of me since he left. However, it was only one word long, '_Remember'. _I wasn't entirely sure what he was telling me to remember. As my eyes stared at the word on the screen, my fingers gripped the anchor hanging around my neck.

_I remember. Is there anything in particular you want me to recall? _

And so it all began. It was impractical to call each other across an ocean, we had time differences, different schedules and it was just plain expensive. Yet, we texted everyday and emailed when we felt like chatting properly. Our texts were reserved for special little moments. It all stemmed from that first communication after he had gone back. He still hadn't told me what he specifically wanted me to remember, I guess that might have been the point. However, with every exchange we retold a memory of some sort. Some were stories that we'd heard from mutual friends, or just from our separate lives, but they were all memories.

During that first week, I caught up on everything that I had missed while Eric had been here. I got sucked into writing, adding another couple of chapters to the piece of fiction I was working on along with my blog. I also had an article pending, based upon the finest places in London to get ice cream. I made a date with my friends to go out together to my favourite cold treat spot, since the bill would be on the website. I also got a chance to Skype with Gran.

"Sookie!" She called out as soon as she saw my video pop up on her screen. Jason was standing around in the background, messing with something. He waved a quick hello and then gestured that he would be back in a bit.

"Hey, Gran. How are you?" I gave her my brightest smile and I pleasantly surprised to find that it did make my eyes shine. I really did miss Gran. It felt like I was missing an awful lot of people these days.

"Just fine. How are you? You've been ignoring me these past two weeks!"

A guilty blush spread up my face. I hadn't called her all the time Eric had been here. I had always hated those girls that put their significant other before anything else and it seemed I had become one of them. I hoped it was a genuine excuse to say that it was only because we had such a limited time together. "Sorry, Gran. I was a little busy." I started out, but she cut me off from saying anything else.

"Yes, I know. You said in your emails which were few and far between as well, girl! Now, tell me what you got up to. I now that Eric was there, the dear. I need to live vicariously through you. Jason is rubbish for gossip, he won't tell me a damn thing about himself."

"Gran!" I gasped. She hadn't actually sworn but she hardly ever used the word 'damn'. It seemed she was a little more ticked off than she was letting on.

"Oh shush. I'm not as old fashioned as you think I am. Is Eric back on the scene?" She sat expectantly, peering intently into the webcam. It was true that Gran had loved Eric. I think it helped that she really hadn't liked Bill, except for his intimate knowledge of the civil war, so anything was good by comparison. Add to that the fact that Eric could charm the socks off anyone when he wanted, he could do no wrong in Gran's eyes.

"Not really, Gran. It's complicated," I hedged. I hated sounding like a cliché.

"Well, I've got all day and you owe me some time."

So I told my Gran the entire tale, although a skimmed down version. There was a definite lack of details, yet enough about the dates we'd been on to keep her entertained. In my edited version, I was also not drunk when Eric surprised me. She knew I drank and that I enjoyed it, she didn't need to know how much.

"You silly kids." I stifled a giggle at Gran calling Eric a kid. He may look young enough to be her grandson, but he was older than her by over a millennia. "When will you get your act together. I could see it while you were still with that Bill." She practically spat his name.

"I know, Gran." It was easier than arguing with her and honestly, I was beginning to think she was right.

"Now, I have some Christmas gifts for you, and one for little Tina too. When do I need to post them?" At the mention of her name by a familiar voice Tina jumped up onto my lap. She was immediately cooed over.

"You can send them now, Gran. It'll be easier than worrying about customs and such. You can trust me, I won't open them. Won't even rattle them, apart from when I collect them from the door and place them under the tree."

"You better not young lady! You'll ruin the surprise if you do. Now, cover Tina's ears a minute." I did as instructed rather than ask why. "I got her some catnip with her present. Can I actually send that? Or will they think it's something else?" She was completely serious and I couldn't hold back my laugh.

"I have no idea Gran." I began to lift my hands down from over my cat's ears. At her frantic movements I quickly returned them. Tina wasn't impressed. "How about, I just grab some the next time I go to the pet store and pop it in the present. She'll never know the difference."

"Oh, thank- you. That would save the headache. I think you can uncover her ears now. Is there anything you want sending over in a care package?"

"Peanut butter M&Ms," I replied instantly.

"I already have a pack for you, dear. You know this would be a lot easier if you could come home for the holidays." Gran had been mentioning me coming back for the holidays for about three weeks.

"I know, Gran. We have been over this. It's just not feasible for me to get time off work during the holidays. We'll all Skype as a family on Christmas. It won't be so bad. It's not my first holiday season away from home."

"I know, I know. You can't blame me for wanting my grandbaby home." From that point, our conversation was pretty much over. It wasn't possibly to get her back onto good topics once she started going down the path of wanting me home for the holidays. I knew it was tough for her; she had lost so many people in her life, people she should not have had to suffer through losing. She felt it the most during the holidays. Having me away from home just made it that much worse.

I had told her the truth. It was really difficult to get time off work during the holidays. The vampire clubs were packed with people celebrating, so they wanted me to scope out places more than usual. Restaurants wanted more reviews to get people in, which meant more reviews and articles were coming my way. Added to my other jobs which didn't stop, it was a bit of a nightmare. This year I'd also signed on to run a book workshop for kids on some Christmas specials such as _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_.

_Crap, I still need to prepare for that._

My chat with Jason was the usual catch-up and general nattering. Gran said he didn't like to gossip, however, when I spoke to him, he loved it, just not about him. After talking with Jason for an hour, I felt like I hadn't missed anything that had happened in my little home town in the past month or so.

Three days later, I had spent more time in my kitchen baking than I cared to admit. I found baking therapeutic and it helped keep my mind occupied while allowing enough time during washing up to let me think a little. It was during one of my cookie baking sessions, I was trying out raspberry and coconut, that I realised that Amelia had been right. Eric must think very highly of me if he left me his necklace. Perhaps even love me.

I had been forced to call Amelia, who had turned up at my apartment with a large bottle of vodka and a couple of bottles of cola to act as a mixer. She didn't bother bringing anything to snack on, knowing that I still had ice cream in the freezer and that there would be plenty of baked goods to eat.

It was during that evening, that I had admitted everything. I told her how I felt and, what I had come to realise that I had been feeling when I had been back in Louisiana too. She found out about the blood sharing, our dates and just about every gory detail she could stomach. She took everything in, only asking questions for clarification. At the end of it all she had hugged me tight and then told me I had gotten myself into a right mess. After that she had let me cry it out. Due to the mix of too much sugar and a lot of alcohol, her comforting me turned into her holding my hair back while I worshipped the porcelain gods.

After I got rid of my hangover the next morning, I found myself feeling surprisingly better. It was a relief to have everything off my chest. The only thing I found disconcerting about the entire thing was Amelia trying to convince me to tell Eric everything. I absolutely refused. The last thing we needed was a declaration of love while there was an ocean between us. Neither of us could move easily and I just didn't see something long distance working out. Besides, although I thought Eric might love me due to that necklace, it wasn't all that much to go on. I wasn't brave enough to put myself out there that much.

With Amelia's encouragement, I did throw myself into life. I let work, which I honestly enjoyed, take up a lot of my time. All of my free time was spent hanging out with friends or planning for the Christmas workshops I was going to be running at the book stores. I had plans to spend the actual day with Amelia. I was apparently very welcome when I said I would cook. There would actually be an entire gang of us.

While I was out shopping for people, well everyone that was on my side of the Atlantic, I ended up back at Winter Wonderland. I still had that ticket for the photographs that had been taken during our time on the ice rink. I even sent Eric a text telling him where I was. He probably wouldn't get it for another eight hours but I still sent it. However, when I reached the photography desk, I was severely disappointed.

_"Hello, I would like to have a look at these, please." I handed over the little ticket with the number written in red ink across it. The lady smiled at me brightly and then quickly got to work searching for the photos. _

_"I'm sorry, Ms, but there aren't any photos for this number." _

_"What do you mean? They were taken here only a couple of weeks ago. The photographer said they'd be ready to collect any time that Winter Wonderland was open this season." My heart began to race as panic rose in me. I hoped that I hadn't misunderstood and missed the opportunity to get the photos. _

_"I'm sorry. Someone has already bought some of the photos and a digital copy. Once they've been bought, we don't store them anymore to make more room on the server." She smiled at me sadly. I knew from her mind that she could see me panicking and had no idea how to help. _

_"Can you tell me when?" There was only one other person who had this ticket and he hadn't been anywhere near here since the night the photos were taken. The young woman clicked through something on the computer. _

_"Four days ago." I had no idea what was happening and it was sending my head spinning. _

_"Can you tell me any other details? I need to know. Those photos are really important to me." I had only been able to resist buying them before now because I hadn't been back. I knew it would hurt to look at me but I also thought that it might just be a good hurt. _

_"No, sorry. All I know is that a lot was ordered, the bill was over a hundred pounds. Other than that, I'm not allowed to disclose any information. There isn't a name attached anyway."_

_"Oh, okay." I thanked her quietly and made my way back to the tube. My shopping trip was over since I couldn't concentrate on anything. Our photographs were gone and there was nothing I could do about it. I of course contacted Eric about it. He didn't answer since he was dead to the world for the day. I had felt him slip away as I always did recently. He never actually replied to that message. It even took me awhile to realise. _

That was the day that I found out about the difficulty Eric was facing back in the states. It wasn't just him, but the entire state. The King of Oklahoma was making trouble for them. Essentially he was making a power play on the state. He wasn't interested in making a marriage with the Queen to unite the two states, no he wanted them both to himself. Eric, as Sheriff and one of the most powerful vampires in the Queen's arsenal was busy. Busy was probably a massive understatement.

Christmas arrived, just over a month later. Plans had been elaborated to include a small part on Christmas Eve with me staying at Amelia's house for a few days. I left my apartment early on Christmas Eve, bag upon bags of baked goods accompanying me, for her house. Tina was even coming for the ride. She hated being in her carrier, and I did feel bad for her but it was better than leaving her in the apartment alone. It didn't help that I knew she would also hate it at Amelia's with the unfamiliar surroundings.

Christmas itself was easier than anticipated. With so many friends around and so much to do, I barely noticed the ache in my heart. It wasn't just for Eric, although he was the major part. I missed all of my family and friends back in America. It had hit me last Christmas too. As ridiculous as it sounds, it really does feel a lot worse around the holidays.

It didn't help that communication with Eric took an even bigger nose dive on Boxing Day. I felt him awake, by this point it was barely a twitch as the blood was fading fast. Then I got a couple of text messages, as was pretty standard, and then nothing. I didn't necessarily feel anything wrong until the next day. Something was just off. I tried contacting Pam, but she was very vague on the subject. Hell, I even called the bar when no one was responding to me. That continued for two days. Two days of me worrying and trying to keep it covered so that I wouldn't ruin any of the festivities for my friends in London.

It was ridiculous o' clock in the morning, after two days of no communication when a bleary eyed Amelia slouched into my room. I had taken over her spare room, which she used as a study. Her hair was all over and she seemed sluggish, yet her eyes were wide awake. I was fully awake instantly. I could tell there was something wrong, the situation and her brain were telling me that. Yet, because I was so used to blocking our her mind, I found it difficult to read her.

"What is it?" I asked. Just as I finished speaking, I saw she was holding a phone in her hand. I glanced to the desk and found that my phone wasn't in its usual place.

"Phone for you. Pam." My heart lurched at the mention of her name. I didn't know the time but I knew that she couldn't have been awake for very long since it was the middle of the night here. I grabbed the phone from Amelia.

"Pam? What's wrong?" Amelia sat down on the bed and took my spare hand in both of hers.

"It's Eric."

_"What do all of these mean?" I was lying on Eric, unceremoniously using him as a massive pillow. He wasn't complaining. If anything, I think he liked it although I doubt he would admit it. My fingers played with the charms around his neck. There were three of them there today. Two of them were always present, on separate chains, but the third had been tagged on today. _

_"Hmm?" His eyes opened slowly to gaze at me. I had been watching television at his apartment while he snoozed, or did whatever it is that vampires do when they go still. His eyes dropped down to the charms held between my fingers. "Which one do you want to know about?" _

_"This one first." I held up the miniature stake. This was the one I classed as the third, it wasn't always present. The pendant in question was about an inch long and slender, although it also seemed as hard as metal. The tip was sharpened to a point like a stake should be. _

_"That is a symbol of my mortality." When I quirked my eyebrow he continued quickly. "Technically,I may be able to live forever. I just highly doubt that will be the case. The wood is encasing a small core of silver. It does not bother me as it is wrapped in wood but it still serves to remind me that I will not be here forever." It was strange to hear such words coming from Eric. He always seemed so powerful and strong. I never doubted that he really could be the immortal vampire, despite his enemy list it seemed like he would be able to deal with everything. "It could also serve another vampire their mortality if necessary." That seemed more like Eric. "Now, I have a question for you."_

_"I'm not done yet, I want to know about all of them." I let the stake fall back onto his chest as my attention turned to the other two. _

_"I will answer. After my question." I smiled, letting him know that I agreed to his question. He let his hands slide down slightly, so that they were resting on the dip of my lower back rather than my waist. "Why do you want to know now? You have seen them before." It was true._

_"I've never had the proper opportunity to inspect them. I've always been intrigued, but I haven't even always known what they were, such as this one." I held up the talon; I still didn't know what kind of animal it was from. _

_"That is an Eastern Imperial Eagle's talon, moulded in bronze." I gently ran the tip of it across my skin so that it drew a white line. _

_"Why an eagle's talon? It's freaking huge." I mused as I continued to turn it over in my fingers. _

_"I remember watching them fly. They still have a home in Europe. I chose an eagle because of their majesty, but also because of what they symbolise; freedom and power, yet also authority and dominance." _

_"It's beautiful. And it suits you." I smiled and finally placed it gently back down on his skin. I turned my attention to the last pendant. At least I knew this was an anchor. "This one?" _

_"My oldest token. It symbolises hope and it serves to remind me of the sea which I grew up beside." The metal on this one was rougher, almost as if intricate tools of carving the metal hadn't been used. If it was anywhere near as old as he was, it could be that they weren't even invented. It was a simple anchor, a large stem with a curve blade at the bottom. Another small bar went across the stem near the top. It was as beautiful as the others in its own way, even if it was a little rough around the edges. _

_"This one's my favourite." I returned that one too. Eric was still smiling softly yet I wasn't entirely sure why. "What?" _

_"Nothing. I just want to do this." He tilted his head down and as soon as I realised he was leaning down for a kiss, my face turned up to meet him. It was gentle and sweet. He had taken in the past few weeks to kissing me like that on occasion. I knew he wanted more and I had to admit, I was ready for more now too. _

Tray navigated through the rather empty streets of London with his GPS set up for Heathrow airport. Amelia sat with me in the back. We both had our phones out, talking quickly with airport staff that seemed to be quite desperately trying to help us out. It seemed the fastest way to get to Shreveport would be a flight to New York then down to New Orleans airport, from there it would probably be easier if I drove.

Amelia's hand never left my grasp as we got closer to the airport. The sky was still pitch black with not a star in sight. I found myself saying silent prayers that I had my passport with me. I was never without it, or my visa, when I went anywhere. I was quite paranoid about having to fly home so it never left my bag when I stayed out overnight. I would need some more appropriate clothes from somewhere. The weather in Louisiana was averaging out in the low sixties while in London it was a cheery freezing. My sweaters, heavy boots and coat were likely to be a little over the top. I would worry about that later.

It wasn't too long before Tray pulled into the drop off point car park. He waved a quick goodbye and good luck over his shoulder as I vaulted from the car. I don't think I'd stopped to tell him what was happening and it was doubtful Amelia had. Knowing her she would have just woke him up and told him to drive us to the airport. We raced into the terminal building, heading straight for where the only people actually gathered at this time were heading. When we reached the check in desks, I quickly gave the reference number I had been given over the phone and pulled out my credit cards. This was going to be painful on the wallet, but nowhere near as painful as everything was on my heart.

"Are you okay? Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Amelia asked once everything had been sorted out. I was set to depart for New York in just over an hour. He hands were resting on my shoulders so that I didn't have much choice but to look at her.

"No, I'm not, but that's not going to change anytime soon." Her hands squeezed tighter as she gave me her support. "I'm not dragging you across countries in the holidays. But thank- you for the offer, it means a lot." It really did. She was genuinely offering and I didn't need to be a telepath to know that. I folded my arms around her, pulling her in for a tight hug. "I don't know what I'm doing." I whispered into her shoulder, not daring to speak it any louder.

"You're going to go a get your man back. You'll rescue him and he'll be all pouty because a woman had to rescue him, but he'll get over it because it's you." She laughed although it was a little hollow. I smiled in return.

"Thank -you, for everything." I hugged her tighter for a second and then let her go.

"No problems, now go. And don't forget to eat!"

"I won't, mom!" I called back over my shoulder as I rushed toward the security check point.

Traversing an airport in the early hours of the morning, although by this point it had become a much more respectable hour, was easier than during the busy hours of the afternoon. I did indeed get food, although it was a chore to choke it down my throat. My stomach did not want food in it. I knew I had to eat though, I needed my strength. I didn't know what was waiting for me in Shreveport, but I knew it would draining. Once I was at the gate I called Pam.

"When are you getting here?" She didn't bother with a greeting. I gave her my plans and the rough times of when I was expected to get in.

"Okay. You'll be getting here during the day. You'll have to stay at Fangtasia until I get up."

"What's happening Pam?" I asked her, letting the shock go into my voice so that she would hopefully answer.

"I can't tell you yet. But it's a power play from Arkansas. I'll tell you everything when you get here. We have a plan but we need _you_, Sookie."

"You've got me. I'll be there as soon as I can."

I spent the next fifteen hours travelling what felt like, and might well have been, half way across the world. I never once relaxed; I was too scared about what my subconscious would show me if I dared to close my eyes for more than a second. By the time that I breathed in the familiar Louisiana air, I was dead on my feet. Whereas my body was falling apart, my brain wouldn't even slow down. I walked as fast as I was able to and collected the car from the long stay parking lot.

I have no idea how I managed to get from the airport to Fangtasia. I was moving completely on autopilot. All I know is that I was thankful that I remembered the way since it had been so long. It was during the drive that I began to feel slightly guilty about not letting my family know what was going on. Hell, I hadn't even thought about them until I saw a sign on the highway stating the exit for Bon Temps. They would have to wait until this had all been sorted out. By that time, I would hopefully have a good cover story for turning up randomly. I knew I would have to keep my presence in Louisiana quiet until I could go and see them. They just wouldn't understand me not seeing them at the earliest chance.

Fangtasia stood lonely in any empty parking lot, just down the street from the strip mall. From the outside, it appeared that nothing had changed. The red neon sign that declared Fangtasia was switched off for the day, so the logo appeared more bleak than anything. I pulled into a parking spot close to staff entrance. I hoped that Pam had remembered to warn Ginger that I was coming. She hadn't been exactly the most together person when I had known her and I couldn't imagine another eighteen months of working for the vampires had helped her much.

I knocked loudly on the door and waited. It was strange to be back after all this time. I had always intended to return to Louisiana at some point I think, and not just for a visit. These were definitely not the circumstances that I had ever imagined would bring me back here. The sun beat down on my back as I continued to wait. As I had thought, my London winter clothes were going to be a little excessive.

"Hello?" A high raspy female voice called out from the other side of the metal door.

"Hey, Ginger. It's Sookie, can you let me in?" The door opened then to reveal a Ginger that didn't seem to have altered, except perhaps for a few more lines around her eyes. "Hey." I greeted her again not that I could see her.

"Hello, Sookie." It was nice to hear my name said with a Southern accent again in person. She pulled the door open wider and let me in. The door was quickly bolted behind me. "Pam says that she'll be here as soon as she can." Considering that it was already nearing five, that wouldn't be too long. "I got some blankets and a pillow together for you; they're in Eric's office." She began to lead me down the hallway as if I didn't know the way to his office by now.

"Thanks, Ginger." I walked into the room and was surprised at what I had found. The room had completely changed since I had last been in there. The walls were a darker shade of cream and all the furniture was now a mix of dark wood and black material. Previously it had been much lighter. This seemed more Eric's style. His desk was bigger than ever and a luxurious office chair was placed lazily behind it, as though he hadn't been bothered to put it back under the desk.

"Do you want something a little cooler? You look like you're dressed for snow!" I looked at her tiny frame and smiled dubiously. I doubt she had anything that would fit me. "We have some Fangtasia stock you can have." I smiled brightly at that. I had been stuck in these clothes for close to twenty four hours and hadn't had access to a shower in closer to forty eight.

"That would be brilliant. Do you still have a shower here?" I let my bags drop to the floor by the plush black suede sofa.

"Sure. Everything is still where it all was. I'll go and get you some clothes and I'll pop them into the changing room." With that she turned around, disappearing from view. In the quiet that descended at being left alone, I quickly stepped into movement. It wouldn't do well to let my thoughts take reign here.

Twenty minutes later, I sat on the sofa, dressed in the clothes that Ginger had gotten me. It was a red Fangtasia, 'life begins at night' t-shirt. She had brought me some more t-shirts and even a vest, but for sleeping this would do fine. I had pulled on my pyjama pants that I had brought with me.

Eric's scent clung to the room. Either that, or my imagination was running wild. It was just so him in here that it was hard to imagine that he was being held somewhere against his will. I closed my eyes and leaned back into the cushions, letting them comfort me.

"Sookie." I heard my name being called and cool hand carefully shook my shoulder. My eyes darted open. I stared up at Pam's beautiful face. Even wracked with worry and no makeup, she was breathtaking. "The sun is down. I need to tell you everything." I sat up at once and wiped my hands over my face, rubbing the last tendrils of sleep away. I was surprised to find that my face was damp. As I traced the damp path up I found that I was still crying. The tears I hadn't been able to shed while awake had come forth in sleep.

"Okay." I wiped the tears from my face. "Where are we going?"

"Nowhere, everyone is meeting here in a few hours. You better get comfortable, this may take awhile." I leaned back against the sofa and hugged the pillow to my chest. I didn't know how long I had been asleep, but my body was already telling me that I needed more. I was running on empty.

"Then you better get started." I stared at her, bracing myself for whatever it was she would tell me.

"Arkansas has made a power play for the state of Louisiana. They're not interested in a marriage to Sophie-Anne, which she might just have agreed to. They do not wish to share control. It started a couple of months ago. Vampires from out state were tempted over to Arkansas, swearing fealty to a new King. There were a few fights and thinly veiled threats to make out life difficult."

"What do you mean?" I clutched the pillow harder.

"They began attacking humans, making it obvious that it had been vampires and planting the corpses near known vampire businesses and hang outs. We had one left in the parking lot here by some day slaves for the Arkansas lot. What they hadn't contemplated was Eric's strength and that he leaves here only just in time to make it back to his apartment before dawn. He found the body and managed to hide it, so we were saved from trouble."

"Oh, God." Bile began to rise in the back of my throat at the callous actions. It never ceased to surprise me how low some vampires could stoop; killing humans for their own fun just to frame another group of vampires.

"Yes. Then messages were sent directly to the Queen, telling her to back down or it would be war between the two states. When she did not surrender her state, we didn't hear anything for two days. On the third night, we realised Eric had been taken. Without him. the Queen's power is severely diminished. He was the most powerful vampire in the state by five hundred years. If it does come to any form of fight, we are weakened. We need to get Eric back."

"Fuck." I had known that Louisiana was in some trouble on the vampire front, I just hadn't known it was so much. "What do you have planned? How do I come into all of this?"

"We plan to get him back and that is how you come into all this. We need you to find out where he is being held." Pam looked completely serious as she sat on the edge of the desk, he long legs extended out in front.

"How?" I had no powers over vampires at all.

"The Arkansas vampires don't have a head-quarters like we do. They plan everything out of businesses they own. Every one is run by humans during the day, some of which are their day men. We need you to get inside their heads and figure out where he is." Her steely gaze settled onto me again. She was willing me to help. She needed Eric back as much as I did.

"Okay." There were still so many questions I had. "What could happen if we don't get Eric back, or if we do?" I fiddled with the seam of the pillow, keeping my fingers busy. My body was thrumming with nervous energy at the prospect of what was laid before me.

"When we get him back, we take out as many vampires in the establishment as possible. Hopefully the King sees that we aren't as weak as he originally thought without our main Sheriff and he gives up on Louisiana for a while. If we don't get him back, we will eventually fall to Arkansas rule." She shrugged her shoulders as though there was nothing more that she could do about it.

"Well, this sucks." I threw the pillow to the side and got up so that I could pace.

"Yes, Sookie it does." A shadow of a smile passed over her lips.

"How are we going to pull this off? I know I have to infiltrate, get into the heads of some humans." I continued to pace. It was nine steps from one wall to the next.

"We have a small list of the most likely places they are holding him. We know he must be bound in silver, be far enough away from people that they wouldn't hear him and be around enough vampires to make sure we don't try to get him back." She pulled out a sheet of paper that had writing scribbled all over it.

"Please tell me that it's a small list."

"Yes. But we better get started right now."

**So what did you think? Thanks to everyone that reviewed the last time, especially the guests who I couldn't reply to. **

**Sorry I've been quiet for a couple of weeks, but I haven't had internet access. I'm currently half way up the country on my road trip from London to the Northern tip of Scotland. See you in a few weeks. Hope you like the chapter :) **


	8. Chapter 7

_**A massive thank- you to my beta Lauinia**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own, the Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris**_

"_You can do this, Sookie," _I chanted to myself quietly under my breath. My head was awash with the knowledge that Eric was somewhere nearby, under my feet in the tunnel network that served as the vampire retreat. The bar-tender had revealed too much to me last night. Everything that I had heard suddenly swam up to cloud my vision and my stomach lurched. Thankfully, it was empty.

"_So, what are you doing in these parts?" Callum asked as he poured me my second Malibu and Coke. So far my British twang was holding out, or at least it was good enough to convince an American that I had some British in me. It hadn't escaped my notice that he was pouring me doubles. Half of the last one had been 'accidentally' tipped into the spillage mat when Callum disappeared to serve someone else. _

"_Well, you know how I said I was here visiting family? Turns out there's such a thing as too much family." It hurt to lie like that. No matter how much they aggravated me, my family was still my family. "I had to get out for a while, so I started driving. Saw this place and turned off the road. _

"_Well, I hope I can turn your night around." I returned his smirk as enthusiastically as possible. Instinct told me that Callum would be the guy that knew something, if there was something to find out here. I just had to wait for his perverted brain to give up the goods. So far his brain hadn't been doing much more than wondering about me. _

"_I think you might be able to manage that." I took another sip from my drink. "What do you do for fun around here?" I asked, looking up at him through my eye-lashes. My stomach rolled. _

"_That depends on what you count as fun." The scent of his beer breath flew across my face and I had to stop my nose from wrinkling. I may have been used to the smell, it didn't mean I liked it. "Like any ol' town out here, there's drinking with the guys, shooting and playing pool." I already knew that there was a group of hunters in the corner chatting about how they hadn't even seen anything all day. In the other corner both pool tables were occupied. The waitresses and waiters were all bored. The most common thought from their minds was about how much people were tipping, or rather how little. _

"_Don't you guys do anything," I paused for affect and made my voice drop. I even swirled my fingers around the top of my glass. "A little more dangerous?" Callum's face lit up and I kept my shields down. _

"_Personally, I like to run with the vamps." I mentally high-fived myself. _

"_Hmm?" I pouted, fishing for more information. His mind was flickering though all the vampires he knew and which ones he knew would be around that he could introduce me to. It was then that the thought hit, his closest vampire friend was on guard duty tonight in the tunnels. _

"_You okay?" Callum asked, glancing me over. I schooled my face into more casual interest than the elation I had probably shown. _

"_Yes, the alcohol must be going to my head." When all else fails, play up the blonde. Sickeningly, he poured another splash of Malibu into my glass before topping it up with the soda pump. He really did want me drunk. "You were saying something about vampires. Vampires are dangerous."_

_Finally, I had him. He wondered whether he'd be able to swing it to show me the vampire prisoner. In his mind that was the most dangerous thing he could do. Apparently the prisoner was quite feral with his long hair and giant's build. _

_It took all of my might to keep from giving something up. _

"_Yes they are." _

"_I just love them. In London I got to this club called _Silver_, that's all vampire themed. Sometimes they even have a few actual vampires there." Not two seconds after I had said the word 'silver', my cell phone rang. "Damn. I have to take this, I think my family are finally starting to look for me." I quickly excused myself and began scurrying away to the door so that I could find some quiet to answer my phone. _

"_Hey, wait up! Here's my number, if you find yourself out here again, give me a call." I smiled up at Callum as I took his number, all the while my stomach churned a warning. As soon as I was through the doors to the outside, my cell phone still ringing, I crumpled the piece of paper up. _

_I walked quickly over to the truck that I had arrived in, with its blacked out windows. Inside Pam waited silently. She had been listening in to everything I had said. She had called my cell phone to give me an excuse to get somewhere quieter. When I was finally inside with the door securely shut, I finally said the sentence we both wanted to hear. _

"_I know where Eric is."_

My elbow smashed back into the little square of glass. Pain radiated up my arm and for the first time that night, I was grateful for my heavy duty leather jacket. An alarm blared as I dusted my elbow for any glass shards. I now had ten seconds and I couldn't afford to waste any of them. I felt the panicked human minds as they raced toward the main exit, everything but getting out forgotten. I went the opposite way, dashing back into the main room toward the small archway at the end of the bar marked 'staff only'. The door at the end of the corridor was highlighted with a luminous green exit sign.

"What do you think you're doing?" I was just about to reach the handle of the door when the voice startled me. I whirled around to face the bartender that had served me last night, the same one who I had garnered most of my information from. I hadn't heard him come up behind me, yet he was scarcely five feet away and his looming presence dominated me. Instead of actually replying to his question (he already though he knew the answer anyway), I reached behind me to grab the door handle. With a quick twist, I opened the door, moving off to the side as I did so.

"Well, hello there, darling." Pam greeted the bartender. He had just enough time to frown at the sight of Pam before his face met with fist. Terhe next instant she had caught his falling body and her fangs were sinking into his neck.

The alarm was still blaring its ominous warning, yet I still managed to hear the heavy wooden front doors groan as they were separated from their frame. Carlos entered the corridor then, blood already staining his chin. We stayed where we were, knowing that everyone would have to come to us as this was the entrance to the basement. The bartender slid to the floor as Pam unceremoniously let him go. The muffled white noise of his mind told me that he was simply unconscious. Just then, the rest of our rescue party rounded the corridor into the fight.

"No one left back there. We took out one. All the vamps must be down there." Lily jerked her thumb toward the door we were all crowding around. This was going far too easily for my liking.

"Well, let's get this show on the road," Pam said with what sounded like delight. She wiped her lips with the back of her hand and then yanked the door open in the next second. We all jumped back slightly, expecting some form of an attack. When nothing sprang out at us, we all relaxed slightly and began the descent into darkness.

I was at a serious disadvantage. There was enough light for all the vampires to see and there wasn't any light, which mean I was left hobbling along, my hands holding on tightly to the railing to keep myself steady. I stumbled when I hit the final step, expecting more. The strong hands of Carlos settled onto my upper arms, steadying me in place. A second later and dim lighting lit up the corridor.

"Shit." It was almost unanimous. There were three corridors leading off from the small main area we found ourselves in. I had not seen this at all. The sound of running footsteps echoed down from the corridor to our right.

"You three there." Pam directed, indicating two males and a female who I didn't really know. They took off running. A second later, a gurgle filled the air as they took out the human. "You two are with me, last two take Sookie and go left." Pam and her group dashed down the main corridor, a blur of black as they disappeared. I was left with Carlos and Lily.

Carlos went first, running at human speed, headlong into the corridor. Lily followed behind me, making sure that I wouldn't get a surprise attack from behind.

The tunnels were labyrinthine in nature. Winding and turning, intersecting with other tunnels. We delved deeper and I knew we had to be running out into the surrounding area of Little Rock. The cement walls and brick gave way to what seemed to be old utility tunnels used for powering the city.

"Turn right!" I yelled suddenly. The flickering image of a human mind clicked into my head. From the image, I could see the blond head of a vampire sitting down in what appeared to be a cell. We all turned right at the next intersection. I had no idea how I knew the way, but I didn't question it. Instead, I focused on homing in on the mind, getting closer. "Left!" We were close. The image was coming in sharper, clearer and I could see more detail s of the room. Unlike the surrounding areas, it was brick, no more utility tunnels. "Right, and we're there." We burst into the room just as the human occupant became aware that someone was approaching.

"What the..." he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. Carlos gripped his head and shoulders with separate hands, twisting in opposite directions. A sickening crunch filled the air and my stomach rolled.

We were in...Well, I didn't know where we were. The room was small and had two cells built inside. Only one of them was occupied. I rushed forward, ignoring the small bunk area that the human had formed. Eric was sitting in the corner, hunched over. His legs straight out in front of him and his head dipped down so that his chin almost met his chest.

"Eric!" I yelled his name even though he had to already know we were there. The slightest nod of his head told me that he heard me. I looked at the gate and found that it was a simple set of latch bolts and a deadlock that could be opened without a key from my side. It was wonderfully simple, yet impossible for a vampire to get out of without burning through their fingers. The entire cell was made of silver.

I flung the cell door open, making sure that it stayed open. I rushed forward to Eric. My hands immediately touched his face, lifting his head so that I could see his eyes. His hair fell forward slightly. When I brushed it back, I was met with a wall of pain staring back at me.

"Eric," I whispered, not knowing what to do. There was silver woven over his entire body. A simple silver chain was bound tightly around his neck, digging into his seared flesh. Black, dead skin clung to the edges, obscuring some of the chain from view, it cut so deep. His wrists and ankles had received similar treatment while even more silver chain was simply laid over his body, keeping him held down.

"Sookie." His voice was barely audible, barely more than a gasp. His eyes pleaded with me, telling me what he couldn't do. I nodded my head at him. I knew what I had to do.

"I love you," I whispered back to him and placed a quick kiss on his forehead. Then I gripped the back of the necklace, where it was still above his skin and closed my eyes. I couldn't watch the pain in his face as I yanked. The thin chain broke easily in my hand. The sound that met my ears made me want to throw up. The sound of flesh ripping from flesh was one I never wanted to hear again. I didn't look at what I had pulled off, instead I let the chain fall to the floor. It slid several feet away.

"Sookie, we have a vampire incoming!" Lily called from near the cell door. It was unspoken that I would be the one actually rescuing Eric. We had known that he would be wrapped in silver, there was no other way for them to have contained him for so long. So it would rest upon the shoulders of a human. I hadn't even asked Carlos and Lily to enter the cell, knowing that it would drain them of much needed energy. Instead, I trusted them to have my back.

"Yeah," I replied, just so that they knew I understood. When I finally opened my eyes, I found Eric's eyes staring back at me. They were still full of pain, more pain than I could ever imagine, but there was something else lurking under the surface. He held his head up on his own now that the weight of the silver was gone from his neck. The flesh I had ripped from him was still oozing blood. It seemed that it was mainly the charred black hunks that had been ripped off.

"Hang in there," I told Eric as I moved to the chains littered across his body. At least these ones weren't directly touching his skin. I pulled them away quickly, ignoring the slight hiss of pain that emanated from my vampire. The cloth underneath the chain was blackened, as though there had been some form of reaction. Where his shirt rode up slightly from the jerking movement, I saw that red raw skin was the damage they had caused even though clothing.

"Just a few more." I kissed his forehead again and then moved to his wrists which were pinned to the floor. I gripped one of his hands, bringing it up to rest on my knee. I gripped the edge of the chain as my free hand held onto his, our fingers knitted together. I pulled sharply and the let the chain fly through the air.

It was just as it landed that two vampires quite literally jumped into the room. Carlos and Lily were ready and quickly engaged them in a fight. I tried to not pay attention, instead focusing on my vampire. I repeated the process with his other hand. When his hands were free, I pulled the small backpack down and opened it, to reveal the cargo of synthetic blood bottles that I carried. I delved through them until I found the two packages of human blood, twisted the bung out and let it fall to the ground.

"Here, drink this." Eric's weak hands reached out to grip the package. His fingers squeezed too much, counteracting his lack of sensation. Cool blood spilled from the top to run over his hand. Knowing that we couldn't afford to lose anymore, I helped guide the plastic packet to his mouth. When I saw him drinking, I turned my attention to his ankles where the last two chains were pinning him.

I pulled back his jeans slightly to reveal the damage and almost lost my stomach contents. It wasn't just charred skin that cut down into the flesh. White bone was visible against the still shining silver.

"Hold on," I warned Eric. I grabbed the edge of the chain and yanked, pulling the silver away. I wasted no time in freeing his other ankle which had been in just as bad a state. When I glanced back up at Eric, I found that the wall of pain I had seen behind his eyes was now more of a fence. Eric was starting to show through. "Here," I handed over the second packet of blood. "It's the last one we have." I had synthetic blood which would help, but it wouldn't do anywhere near as much good as the human stuff. My human stuff.

Outside of the cell, I heard the distinct sound of a vampire biting the dust. There was an intense sucking and then a sound of splatter as his insides became his outside. I looked up in time to see Lily kneeling on the ground over what used to be a vampire. Carlos was still tackling his vampire, fists were flying and hisses filled the air. It was hard to tell who was winning.

Eric quickly gulped down the blood. As he did so, I saw the change to his body. The deep wounds around his neck stopped bleeding and slowly filled-in to leave a red scar. He tossed the final packet aside, just as the scars were beginning to turn purple. A quick glimpse of his ankles told me that they had mainly filled-in, but there was still missing flesh.

"Yours?" He spoke the one word as a question. His voice sounded rough, almost as though he had been screaming for too long.

"Yes. I'll explain later, can you get up?" Eric never got a chance to respond. The sound of a female scream grabbed my attention. I turned around, standing as I did so.

"Well done, Sookie. You probably would have got away with rescuing the oaf." I turned around, standing as I did so to face Carlos. Lily reacted at the same moment and went flying toward the two vampires. The vampire I didn't know, who had long black hair, was rugby tackled to the floor. Lily's hand pulled on that long flowing hair, yanking his head back. Her fangs struck down into his exposed neck, ripping it apart, sending blood spurting everywhere.

"Lily!" I yelled as I saw Carlos whirl on her, a stake held in his raised hand. I was too late. I watched in horror as Carlos made contact, sending that sharpened splinter of wood down through her back. Yet, even as she exploded in a red cloud, I saw a stake poking out of the long haired vampire's chest. A second later, he exploded too.

"Oh, too bad. It seems you're on your own." Carlos turned around to face me, a grin showing off his fangs. "Whatever will you do next, precious? Everyone you came with is a little preoccupied with their own battles. Are you strong enough to fight on your own? I don't think so." His grin turned to a smirk. Slowly, he wiped off the blood that had spattered his face.

What he said was entirely true. I couldn't even think to take on a vampire in a fight and win. It would be a death wish. I knew however, that while I remained in the silver cell, I was somewhat safe. In here, I also had another secret weapon. I swept my hands behind my back to retrieve the gun that I had been given, tucked into the waistband of my jeans. My right hand came back into view, holding the gun. My left stayed behind my back, my inner wrist turned out, hoping to attract my real weapon's attention.

"Can you even use that?" Carlos stepped forward, his arms folded across his broad chest. He was a small vampire, but perfectly proportioned and highly muscled. He was all purpose and packaged for fighting. Even his hair was a no nonsense buzz cut. I didn't actually know how old he was, but judging from his arrogance, I would guess at least a couple of centuries.

"Yes." Pam had given me a crash course in its use just outside of the city on our way over here. She had hoped that I wouldn't have to use it, but we knew that if I ended up going against a vampire or hell, even an armed human, I would need it. The stakes that I carried in my jacket pockets were to be used only as a last resource; I didn't want to have to get close enough to a hostile vampire to use them. I even cocked it, making the metal click, for emphasis.

"You know, I have heard wonderful things about your blood. I would love to see if you live up to expectation." I ignored his words, there were always rumours flying around about me. Instead, I wiggled my hand slightly behind my back, hoping that Eric would get the idea. I needed him strong, stronger than what the blood he'd already taken had managed to restore.

"I wouldn't bother if I were you," I started out, making sure I kept my one handed grip on the gun steady. "I'm nothing special." I felt Eric's hands gently grasp my wrist and I hoped with all my might that my body blocked what Eric was doing.

"But that's where you're wrong. You are something special, you have powers. What are you?" Again I grinned at him, liking the confusion that crossed his face. Eric's mouth came into contact with the soft skin of my wrist and I braced, ready for the pain.

"Don't you know by now?" Pam had held up her end of things, which was to keep the exact knowledge of my powers silent. "I'm a human, and I'm a writer, a baker and above all, I'm Eric's human." Eric bit down and sharp pain shot up my arm. My muscles tensed for an instant before I got control of my body and forced myself to relax. "I have a question for you; why?"

"I'd had enough of working for that whimpering ass, his double standards and the rules! God, the rules that we had to follow." Again, I didn't let his words hurt me. I knew from many vampires that Eric was one of the best Sheriffs they had ever served under. "Putting us all on show just to get a profit! Humans shouldn't want to see us, we should be nightmares again."

"You do know the Arkansas lot will be just as bad, if not worse right?" I raised the gun a little higher, aiming more at the centre of his chest. I wasn't sure how good my aim was, as a few practice shot weren't enough. I felt my blood being sucked out of my wrist. The pain had subsided to more a dull ache and pressure.

"They promised me an Area to rule as I wish." My evaluation of Carlos' IQ went down several pegs. If I hadn't been in the situation I would have rolled my eyes. As it was, I was teetering on the edge between killed along with my vampires and taking out Carlos. With each swallow of my blood that Eric took he would be regaining his strength. It just _had_ to be enough for him to fight before I passed out or Carlos got over his aversion to the cell.

"Do you really believe that? Why would they give you an area? You weren't strong enough to have your own area in Louisiana, why is Arkansas so different?" I was beginning to feel the effects of the blood loss. My mind was starting to become foggy around the edges and the idea of sitting down was almost overpowering. Yet my hand held straight as I focused all of my energy on keeping the gun pointed squarely at his chest. Just as I was about to have to pull my arm away, or attempt to, Eric's mouth relaxed. My own breath came out with a sigh.

"Don't you get it? They sought me out. They appreciate me, unlike you lot." I felt Eric's tongue lap at the two little puncture marks in my wrist. A second later, there was pressure as two fingers touched the wounds. The tell tale tingle of my skin healing quickly followed. I grew bolder knowing that Eric had my back again. I lowered the gun and took glee in watching the confusion cross Carlos' face. As my hand reached my side it began to tremor. Eric had definitely taken more than a pint. It had better be enough.

"Don't _you _get it? They sought you out because you're a weak link. They wanted you for your info on this lot. They don't have any intention of giving you anything, except perhaps the final death. Although, I highly doubt they will get that chance. "

"You lie." He said it as a statement, no flicker of doubt reaching his voice yet. I could see his eyes working.

"No, she does not Carlos, not about that." Eric's deep voice came from behind me. He stood in a smooth movement, brushing so close to me that his fingers trailed along my forearm. The expression on Carlos' face was priceless as he stood with a slack jaw, staring at Eric.

"What? How?" I could practically see the questions running around his head. Eric nonchalantly pushed his hair back from his face and readjusted his clothing.

"You underestimated her. Never underestimate her. She has this great way of surprising people constantly. She did however lie about one thing." Carlos swallowed. His arrogance was quickly disappearing. He shuffled back a step, away from the cell. Too bad it was also another step away from the direction of the tunnel. I too fell back, into the wall for support. There was no fear for myself at the moment, Eric could handle this. "She is something special, her blood is divine." Eric made a show of licking his lips and the tip of two fingers where a couple of red droplets still clung. I had a feeling they were the remainder of Eric's spilt blood from where he had healed me, but the other vampire didn't need to know that. "However, you will never discover that for yourself." Eric held still for a beat, letting the threats he had given sink in.

As soon as Carlos' eyes went wide, Eric surged forward. A primal growl escaped his mouth, echoing around the small room. Carlos immediately adopted a defensive posture, his arms blocking his head and chest. It didn't make much difference, Eric was faster, stronger and simply pissed off. A tightly curled fist to Carlos midsection sent him tumbling through the air, to land against the far wall. The next blow was fiercer, a punch to the ribs that cracked bone. Carlos fell to the floor on his chest, blood dribbling from his mouth and nose. Eric swiftly knelt on his back, a knee digging into the broken ribs, grating. My vampire's hands went to Carlos' head and gripped, tightly. Again the sound of ripping flesh filled the air, making my stomach roll. I blinked, keeping the bile down. When I opened my eyes again, Carlos' head was near the makeshift bunk, a good four feet from the rest of his body. The explosion of his body followed a second later, sending blood and meatier chunks flying through the small room.

"Sookie?" Eric called, stepping away from all the blood and guts just outside the cell. Three dead vampires made for a lot of mess. I moved forward, pushing myself from the wall to meet him just outside of the silver confines. His hand gripped mine and tugged me forward. I threw my arms around him, not caring about the blood that was splashed all over his body. His arms wrapped around me, picking me up so that I was level with him. We squeezed each other tightly, until I had to pull back slightly so that I could kiss him. I didn't mind the slight tang of my blood on his lips, he was my vampire and that was all that mattered.

"Oh, God, Eric." I pulled myself into him again, burying my face into the crook of his neck.

"Sookie." I felt his lips gently kissing me anywhere he could reach. He placed one last lingering kiss to the side of my neck. "You will have to explain everything later. We need to get out of here. Are you okay to move?" Now that he had stopped taking the blood from my wrist and I'd had a couple of minutes, the fog at the edges of my mind had receded. I also had adrenaline on my side.

"Yeah. The others are down here somewhere." Eric finally placed me back on the ground and simply grasped my hand. He set out jogging, at human pace so that I could keep up.

"How many?" He glanced back over his shoulder to make sure that I was managing to keep up as we ran through the tunnels. I didn't question how he knew in which direction, I simply trusted his decisions.

"Five now. Pam is with them. We all split up and went down different tunnels, I have no idea where they will be." I had no idea how much time had actually passed. The others could have gone miles for all I knew, or they could have encountered even more trouble. A brief expression of concentration flashed across Eric's pale face as we continued to move through the maze. The utility tunnels gave way to the brick and concrete of the tunnels closer to the pub. We were getting close to the exit.

As we dashed into the small area where all three tunnels connected near the stair-case for the pub, I became aware of movement. A second later, a black blur slammed into Eric. His hand was ripped from mine, sending me spinning with the power. A scream built in my throat at the same time that I realised Eric had wrapped his arms around the blur. Everything slowed down then as vampire movement turned to human speed. I saw Pam's golden blond head burying into Eric's chest and her arms wrapped around his neck. The next second she pulled back and slapped him.

"Don't you ever dare get yourself into a situation like this again. I will only rescue you once." She slapped him again, lightly, for good measure. It was just as Eric's face split into a grin at seeing Pam again that more vampires ran into the area.

"We need to leave," one of the vampires I didn't know replied. She was very dainty, but the lethal daggers she held in her hands said that would be a very bad assessment of her power.

We all turned toward the stairs, Eric taking the lead with me following in quickly behind him. As the door at the top of the stairs opened, we were hit with absolutely nothing. There was no one waiting at the top of the stairs and even the alarm had stopped blaring. We poured out of the room and turned toward the door at the end of the corridor, through which I had let Pam in earlier. I ran into Eric's strong back when he suddenly halted. The others were all fast enough to stop themselves from stumbling. Eric's hand came out to grab mine, keeping me close.

"Back up," Eric hissed, turning around even as he spoke. I understood what his ears had heard when the door was thrown open a second later to reveal two snarling vampires. The slight female with the daggers jumped in front us, attacking as she went. She was joined by Pam, who engaged the other guy. My hand dipped into my pocket and pulled out a stake. It probably wouldn't be much help but it made me feel better.

"We've got your backs, get going!" Pam called out, not sounding at all winded for the punch she'd just taken to the stomach.

I was flipped around before I could react and then dragged down the short corridor toward the main room. My feet barely touched the floor. When we rounded the corner, we came face to face with a group of five vampires. The clatter behind us told us that Pam and Blades, as I would forever reference the other vampires in my head, caught up to us. The splatter all over their clothing told us that they had dispatched their opponents.

"Eric, we have more incoming. Basement and back door." Pam's voice was filled with what I could only describe as panic. When vampires panic, humans should definitely panic.

"Keep Sookie safe!" With that last command, which seemed to be to all of his vampires, not just Pam, Eric surged forward to meet the incoming attack head on. His fists were a blur of speed as he took on two vampires. When his foot collided with the upper chest of a female she flew backward, sliding across the floor when she landed.

"Sookie!" Pam yelled, just as one of the vampires coming from behind reached out to grab me. I ducked the arm by simply letting myself fall to the floor. Pam took his attention away from me.

As I scrambled back to my feet, the stake still clutched in my hand, I caught a blow to my chest. Fire burned through my lungs as I fell back, stumbling back to the floor. My head recoiled against the wooden bar causing black spots to dance in front of my eyes. I pulled my legs in quickly, making myself as small as possible as I fought to breathe. Air filled my lungs in small gasps, not enough. No one knew I was down.

Every one of my vampires was fighting with everything they had. A feral snarl broke through the sounds of flesh smashing into flesh and I looked up in time to see Eric push a broken chair leg through the chest of the small female he'd kicked. The fire turned to a simmering pain and my lungs expanded, letting in more air. I sat there, under the edge of the bar in the middle of the battle, counting my breaths so that I wouldn't panic.

As I watched, unsure of what to do, the pounding sound of my heart filling my ears, a vampire was flung to the floor in front of me. He landed so hard that the contents of the table next to him fell atop his head. Pam's hissing face dropped down beside her, a stake in her already bloodied hand. Just as she was about to drive the stake home, another vampire came flying through the air in a leap. He was aimed straight at Pam's back, stake in hand.

"Pam!" I yelled, using up the air I had just fought to get. It wouldn't be enough. Acting without thinking, I reached behind me and pulled the gun from the waistband of my jeans. As I slid to the floor. I pulled the trigger when the vampire was only a couple of feet from Pam's back. A bang filled the air and I screwed my eyes, waiting for the impact. It never came. Wetness rained down on top of me along with heavier things.

I didn't even get a chance to open my eyes before a strong hand pushed me aside, back to where I had been. When I did open my eyes, I found two puddles of gloopy blood staining the floor and Pam wading back into the fight. As I continued to watch, wincing at every blow, I saw vampire named Juan fall to the floor, his opponent landing on top of him. I didn't have time to do anything; they were at the opposite end of the room. As I watched, the attacking vampire ripped out Juan's throat and pulled out his heart with his hands.

"Sookie." I recognised the voice instantly and whirled around to see Eric standing beside me. I grasped his out stretched hand to be pulled to my feet. "Come on." He pulled me across the room toward the exit, keeping us as far away from flying fists as possible. The number of vampires had seriously diminished as I glanced around. Our vampires were winning, down to one opponent each.

"Where do you think you're going?" Eric spun around, keeping me behind him to face the taunt. It was the vampire that had killed Juan. Blood still dripped in rivulets from his chin.

"I was thinking I would leave, I do not want to overstay my welcome." Eric spoke, his voice purposefully light. He shifted his weight, lowering his towering frame slightly with his bent knees. His hands formed firsts at his sides and he raised his lip, showing off his fangs. As Eric was about to move forward, another loud bang filled the air. Eric ducked out of the way, pushing me to the side with him. Just as we fell to the floor, Eric's body covering mine, blood once more rained down on us. "Pam!" Eric shouted out as he rolled to the side and to his feet in one graceful movement. He sounded annoyed. "I had him."

"Yes, well, you could try thank- you. I thought you wanted to get out of here?" She quirked a blond eyebrow and then strolled toward the door. Every single one of the Arkansas vampires were dead, yet we had no way of knowing that more weren't on their way.

Eric chose to simply ignore Pam and extended his hand down to help pull me to my feet. We rushed through the doors then, following in Pam's footsteps. The others followed, heading toward their vehicle that was parked at the other end of the parking lot. Pam was already sliding into the large Dodge truck that we had arrived in.

"What happened to all the people?" I asked as jogged across the very empty lot. There were no crowds and not even the distant blare of sirens to say that emergency response was on its way. The fire alarm had sounded and it couldn't have been that long ago. There should have been people milling about, waiting for the chaos to explain itself.

"I do not know." I was surprised that Eric actually answered me. I was mostly speaking to myself when I asked the question. When we reached the truck, Eric hopped into the driver's seat while I scurried around to the front passenger side. As soon as the door was shut behind me, the engine roared to life and we were moving. We had left the parking lot before I even had my seatbelt buckled. "Are you hurt?" Eric glanced at me, taking in the scuff marks that littered my jacket. Yet again, I was grateful to be wearing something so tough.

"Just a few bruises, nothing major." I rubbed the back of my head as I spoke, feeling a slight bump. I'd had worse. Pam leaned forward between the two seats, a bottle of blood already cracked open with a straw in the top. "Are you hurt?" I turned around to face her as much as possible. She seemed a little beaten up and her usually perfect hair was beginning to come out of its ponytail.

"No. I just don't trust the Arkansas lot, it's just in case. I'll relax once we get back. Do you need one?" She brandished a bottle in Eric's direction.

"No." He'd apparently taken enough of my blood to keep him going. If the way he had been fighting was any indication, he was back to full strength. "What happened? Sookie, how are you here?" He sounded a little like how I'd sounded when he'd first showed up in London.

"I'll let her explain." Pam didn't bother to lean back; if anything she inched forward to watch us more closely. However, the only thing that Eric did was to grasp my hand, holding it over the centre console.

"Pam called me the night they realised you were taken. I got the first flight out here I could." I started the explanation and then filled him on the rest of the that details I knew, including how we had found out where he was and the plan to get him back. His thumb never stopped rubbing gentle circles on the back of my hand the entire time I spoke. "That's pretty much all that I know and can think of." I relaxed back into the seat, breathing through the stiffness that was beginning to set in.

"Has the Queen been informed?" Eric asked, glancing at Pam via the rear view mirror.

"She hasn't been updated. She knew about the kidnap, Sookie coming in to help." Eric glared at her stiffly at the mention of that, yet he didn't comment. "And the rescue attempt. I'll call her." Pam finally leaned back into her own seat, although she still didn't bother with a seat belt, and pulled out her cell phone. It gave Eric and I the illusion of privacy. Until we dropped Pam off somewhere, illusion was the only thing we were going to get.

"You came." He brought our entwined hands up to his mouth and kissed my wrist.

"Of course I did. You should have seen me, I think I just about gave Amelia a heart attack." I laughed, but there wasn't really any humour behind it. I wasn't ready to feel anything but exhaustion. I wasn't entirely sure when the last time I got a decent amount of sleep was. Add that onto the jetlag, coming down from an adrenaline high and sheer physical exertion, I was fucking tired.

"Why would you scare Amelia?" By this point we were high-tailing it down the highway. I didn't want to know how fast we were going, so I kept my gaze averted from the dials on the dashboard.

"Oh, I thought you knew. I spent the holidays with Amelia and Tray. I went to her place on Christmas Eve. That's why I didn't get to send more than a quick couple of texts." I shrugged. At the moment, it didn't seem important where I'd spent Christmas.

"Did you get the package I sent?" I looked at him in confusion. I'd assumed he hadn't gotten me anything. Christmas wasn't exactly a big vampire holiday so I hadn't been _too_ hurt. "I sent a package to your house on Christmas Eve."

"I must have left before it arrived. Sorry." I added my other hand to our joined hands for a second. "Do you want to tell me what it is?"

"No, it is meant to be a surprise. It will remain a surprise until you get it." He sent me a trademark mischievous grin. His fangs had retracted.

"Fine, have it your way. I need to know one thing about all of this. How did they manage to get you?" He sighed and then relaxed back into his seat, his hand idly keeping the steering wheel straight. There wasn't another car insight.

"I was just about to leave for the day when I heard a commotion outside. It sounded like a couple of humans fighting over something, a man and a woman. I heard the woman scream and then there was a pounding knock on the staff door." Pam chose that moment to finish up her conversation and take up her position leaning between the seats again. "I opened it because I was leaving anyway, and found a woman in tears begging for help. While I tried to find out what was actually happening, someone threw silver over me. They had climbed onto the roof. I fought as much as I was able, but bound in silver there was not much I could do. It still took four vampires to wrestle me into their van." He smiled at the last part as though the number of vampires it had taken gave him some comfort. "What did Sophie-Anne say?"

"She says she is glad you are safely recovered and she will send news when she hears something from the Arkansas lot. She is expecting them to retract their play for the state. I left out Sookie's involvement. She will likely ask questions later."

"Good. I will handle it later."

We settled into silence then as we tore down the highway. The only company we had on the road was the other vehicle following behind. I could see their headlights in the mirrors. I fell asleep at some point, the rhythmic motion of the car lulling me into unconsciousness. Unlike every time I had closed my eyes while Eric had been missing, his face didn't fill my mind. My sleep was blissfully empty of anything.

"Sookie." My name pulled me out of the depths of sleep and I sat up straight in the chair. Eric's hand still held mine. We were still on the road, although the familiar surroundings of Shreveport were now outside of the windows. As I got my bearings and realised that we were in an unfamiliar residential area, the car slowed down. The other car had been dismissed at some point.

"Pam, I will talk with you tonight. We do not have time now before sunrise." Pam nodded. Her loving gaze was on Eric, telling him everything that she wouldn't actually say.

"Fangtasia. I'll see you then. You coming too?" She turned to me, some of the love still on her face. I simply shrugged my shoulders as I simply didn't know what the hell would happen now. She didn't pull me up on my non-committal answer. She did however, extend her hand out to give my shoulder a gentle squeeze. I nodded back at her, understanding what she was telling me. She was saying thank- you, for everything. It was thanks for hauling my ass across the ocean to help, getting the information we needed and for helping to get Eric back. Eric meant as much to her as he did to me, in different ways.

When Pam's door had shut softly behind her, Eric pulled the car away from the sidewalk. We didn't say anything, just held each other's hand as he drove. The residential neighbourhood gave way to more shops and businesses. When we finally hit part of the city that I recognised, I realised we weren't heading toward Fangtasia. For some reason I had expected us to go there. All of my stuff, what little I actually had that was mine, was there.

"Where are we going?" I asked quietly, watching my vampire even though I couldn't see him well in the darkness.

"You need rest. I took a lot of your blood." His thumb flicked over my wrist. "You need sleep and food." That didn't particularly answer my question.

"So?"

"We are going home."

**There we go! Sorry it's been so long. But I'm finally back at home, although still on placement. How wonderful it is to have an internet connection again! Scotland was amazing, it turned out I didn't even have a cell reception where I was, but I went whale watching and saw three different types of eagles. I've also been to see the new addition to my doggy family, who will be making his full home with us all soon. **

**My placements are still going well, I've been doing more of the same surgeries, physical exams, jabs etc. It's fantastic! Definitely in the right profession ;)**

**Thanks to my guest reviewer, sorry I couldn't reply to you :)**

**See you all next week**


	9. Chapter 8

**A massive thank-you to my beta Launia :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own, the Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris**

It was late afternoon when I awoke. My memory of actually getting to bed was a little hazy. I did however, remember being wrapped up in Eric and finally letting exhaustion take over later than was healthy. Eric's arms were still wrapped around me protectively when my eyes opened. Of course it was pitch black in the room, so I didn't figure out what time it was until I made myself get up. I didn't have anything with me except my cell phone and the clothes that I had worn last night. After an amazing shower that managed to ease some of the soreness from my muscles, I helped myself to some of Eric's clothes. They were all ridiculously big on me, but a pair of his boxers and a t-shirt were okay for lounging around his apartment.

Of course there was no food in his apartment, there didn't need to be. My growling stomach told me that I couldn't afford to wait until Eric woke in a couple of hours. I called the security desk down stairs and asked them to order me a pizza. All I wanted was a very large pepperoni. They could buzz the apartment when it arrived and stick the bill on Eric's tab as I didn't have any cash with me either.

When I sat down in the plush living room to wait for my food to arrive, I finally took the time to look at my phone. There were several text messages, all from Amelia wondering how I was and how everything was going. I quickly calculated the time difference and decided it was still an acceptable time to call her. She answered on the second ring.

"Sookie! Are you okay?" Worry seeded every word.

"Yeah, I'm fine. We got Eric back." I added before she could ask. I recalled everything to her, leaving out some of the more sensitive details. I finished with a sigh. I was lounging on the massive sofa with a pillow tucked behind my head.

"Wow. You actually used a gun!" She squealed.

"Out of everything I just told you, you find the gun detail the most important." My tone was flat.

"Well no, but I do find it the most surprising. So you told Eric you love him, huh?" Now she was back to being Amelia.

"Yeah, although I don't know if he heard it or even realised what he said. You haven't seen a starving vampire bound in silver. They're pretty out of it. He didn't reply anyway." I fiddled the hem on the sofa cushion to keep my fingers busy.

"Well if he was so out of it and weak, perhaps he couldn't physically reply." The buzzer for the apartment sounded.

"Maybe," I replied doubtfully. "Hold on a second, food is here." I popped her on hold while I sorted out the pizza. The security guard had actually brought it up for me. I told him to add a tip to the account since I didn't have anything on me. "Right, I'm back. But I'm going to be eating while we talk." She laughed.

"I don't care. So what are you going to do now?"

"What do you mean?" I was stalling and we both knew it.

"Well, for starters, are you even coming back?" I began to cough on the bite of pizza. Grease slid down my throat. I quickly gulped down some water.

"Of course I'm coming back, Amelia."

"Really? It wouldn't surprise me if you didn't. You dropped everything in the middle of the night for this guy without even thinking about anything. You love him and he's all the way in Louisiana. Where you come from and where all your family is. You're always saying that he _can't_ move to London because of whatever it is that he does for the vampires." Everything she was saying sort of made sense. In the world where Eric loved me and we were ready to give things between us another go. There were two big hurdles to her plan; I didn't know how Eric felt about me and I didn't know if we were ready to give things another go. That was even without thinking about the logistics and the cost. Although, knowing Eric, he wouldn't let me pay for a thing. However, that was getting way too far ahead of me.

"Amelia, I'm coming back to London. My life is there. There are too many questions that I don't know the answers to and I can't make any decision without knowing the answers. Either way, I am staying here for a week or so." I had to stick around. Everything back in London could wait. Amelia had already planned on taking over the book stuff for me for a while longer, my articles had been finished and the vampires could just stuff it. I'd be able to get the Louisiana vampires to smooth that over for me. They owed me that much at least.

"A week or so. That so you can get plenty of loving in with your hot vampire?" She teased, but I knew it came from a loving place.

"What? No! It's so I can see my family and old friends!" I retorted and then took another slice of pizza out of the box.

"Right. So you're telling me you're not planning on jumping his bones?" Trust Amelia to keep on with this topic.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I already have." I didn't let her laughter stop me. "If 'jumping his bones' as you so nicely put it happens, while I'm here, well that would be nice. But I need to see my family!"

"Well, I for one vote for 'jumping his bones'. And it will be more than nice." I sat bolt upright on the sofa and stared with wide eyes at Eric who was chuckling.

"Crap. Busted. I need to go." More laughter filled the line. How she managed to speak between giggles was beyond me.

"Oh, I just bet you do. Say hello to Eric for me. Have fu-un." She hung up before I could say anything more to her.

"Hi." I greeted Eric who was still leaning against the wall. I noticed that he was only wearing a towel. Water still beaded down his chest and dripped from his hair in true McSteamy style.

"Good evening. I trust that was Amelia?" He raised the other towel that he had in his hands and rubbed it over his head.

"Yeah." I swung my legs back to the floor and stood up, turning to face him. "Sorry, I didn't have any cash so I had order pizza from your tab with the building. I hope you don't mind." I knew he wouldn't, but it gave me something to say. I had no idea how long he had been standing there. I had been so engrossed in my conversation that I hadn't even heard the shower running.

"That is fine. Order what you like." He finished with his hair, leaving it standing up in disarray to move onto drying his torso.

"I gotta ask, how much of that did you hear?" I tried to keep the nerves out of my voice.

"Not much. Mainly just the part about jumping my bones. I do like Amelia." I shook my head. Of course he would like Amelia when she was advocating me shagging him. "You are wearing my clothes?"

"Er, yeah. I only have what I was wearing last night. Everything else is at Fangtasia. You don't mind do you?" I was puzzled by his question. He had never cared before.

"Not at all, I just find it odd." When I frowned, he turned around and padded back toward his bedroom. "Come with me." I followed without question. When we got to his bedroom, I found the bed sheets were still rumpled and his clothes were still strewn in random piles. He went over to his chest of drawers and pulled open the second one down. "You left these." When I peered inside the open drawer I found a small pile of clothes, including underwear.

I had completely forgotten my drawer at Eric's apartment when I had packed. I hadn't even realised I had left the items behind until I had gotten to Paris and was unpacking. I hadn't thought about it last night, having assumed a long time ago that he would have thrown everything out. It wasn't as though he needed a drawer full of women's clothes. I pulled out the t-shirt that was on top. It was old and faded. Yet again, it was far too big for me. It had been Eric's t-shirt, but I had pinched it the first night I'd had, an innocent, sleepover at his place. I had never given it back.

"You kept all this stuff?" I asked stupidly. Of course he had, the evidence was right in front of me.

"Yes." He offered up no further explanation, but it still brought a smile to my lips. If he had kept it, he must have expected me to return at some point, or it was a reminder of our time together. Either way, it made my heart swell. "So, you are here for a week or so?" He had heard more than he had originally said.

"Yeah, I haven't given it much thought really. I can't take too much time because of work. But I need some time here, it's home." I pulled his t-shirt over my head and replaced it with an old college t-shirt of mine. There was also a pair of sweatpants and clean panties. "Do I need to be at Fangtasia tonight?" I glanced over in time to see him let the towel that had been around his waist drop to the floor. It was a shame that his jeans quickly covered him up.

"No. It will probably be best if you are not. We will be discussing everything that has happened, a plan forward in case Arkansas does not back down and the plan for when they do." He pulled a soft cotton t-shirt over his head and then brushed his hair back again. His necklace was still in place. It had managed to survive the silver, although it would probably need a new chain. The current one looked a little melted. "We do not want the other vampires thinking they can rely upon having your telepathy at hand." His tone almost sounded bitter. I chose to ignore it, not knowing what it meant.

"Okay." I didn't really know what else to say to his comments. "Is there a car I can borrow for the evening? My Gran still has mine, so it will just be for tonight."

"You can take the truck from last night. You can keep it as long as you need it. You are just going to Adele's?"

"Yeah, at least at first. I don't know what will happen after. She'll call Jason, actually I might call Jason from the car. After that, God knows. I might even end up back at Merlotte's for an hour." I shrugged my shoulders. I really didn't know what would happen when I showed up in Bon Temps unannounced after eighteen months. Not many people left Bon Temps, for any reason, let alone to go and see the world.

"You are staying at Adele's?" His questions were beginning to confuse me. When I finished changing clothes and saw his face, I understood immediately.

"Probably. She won't want to let me go. I also didn't want to presume that I could stay here. I've been crashing at Fangtasia, in your office actually, so I didn't think I could stay there. I can come back tomorrow night, or you can even join me later once you've got all the vampire stuff sorted out." He walked over to me.

"Now, that is a plan I can agree to." He pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

Just over an hour later, I pulled up the familiar gravel drive way to my old home. Jason's truck was parked out front; he had actually heeded my request. The curtains were all closed, but I could see warm, yellow light spilling from the living room. I could just imagine the two of them watching some game show together, trying to figure out the answers. Jason would probably have a bottle of beer in his hands and a bowl of chips beside him on the sofa.

I saw the curtains twitch as I pulled to a stop next to Jason's truck. Now, I'm not exactly proud of what I did, but I still wouldn't change my actions. I used my powers to listen in to their minds. It was Jason at the curtains, spying for Gran. First there was confusion as he didn't recognise the truck. I actually saw myself jump down from the double cab in his mind. The instant that recognition hit, a wave of love engulfed me. It seemed like I had surprised them.

The door was thrown open as I stepped onto the porch. I was actually grateful for that; I hadn't been home in so long, I wasn't sure whether I should just walk in or knock first. Jason's muscular arms wrapped around me and the next instant I was being swung around.

"Sookie!" He practically squealed in excitement. My own squeal was out of shock. However, I quickly got over it and returned his hug.

"Well, bless the stars." I heard Gran's familiar drawl as she made it to the door to see what was actually going on. Jason placed me back on the ground and I noticed the broad grin on his face. Gran opened up her arms and I quickly stepped into them. I was engulfed in a massive bear hug. "Oh, Sookie!" Her voice was deep with emotion.

"I know, Gran. I know." I held onto her small frame, tucking her head into my neck and stroking her back.

"How?" She asked quietly and I felt something warm splash onto my chest.

"I'll explain in-side." I kept her pulled into me as Jason walked inside. "I love you, Gran." My arms tightened around her slightly.

"I love you too." She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and then took my hand, leading me into the kitchen.

I had barely sat down at the kitchen table and the kettle was already boiling. Next, a plate full of cookies and other sugary goodness was placed in front of me. Gran even swatted Jason's hand away when he tried to take one. As soon as Gran's back was turned, I slipped a chocolate chip cookie.

"So what brings you back out here?" Jason asked around a full mouth. He relaxed back in his chair, still smiling even while eating.

"I got a Christmas present." I started out. I had decided, with Eric's help, to tell them that he had bought me flights home for Christmas. He had already told me that he was paying for my flights since he was the reason I was in Louisiana. His tone had told me there would be no point arguing.

"Hmm?" Gran asked as she placed a cup of hot fruit tea in front of me. Jason got another bottle of beer. When Gran took her seat she grabbed my free hand.

"Eric." She nodded as though everything made sense. I went on with my explanation anyway. "He got me a return flight home for Christmas. I found out late on Christmas night when he called. After that, I decided to just surprise y'all." I grinned at my family.

"Bit presumptuous wasn't he? I mean it's difficult enough to get you on the phone most days." This came from Jason. His smirk told me he was just looking for trouble and didn't mean anything by his words.

"He co-ordinated with Amelia." I shrugged. There were holes in my plan, but hopefully we had thought of enough things to cover them.

"How long are you here for?" Gran asked. She had finally stopped crying although her eyes still glistened.

"A week. So I get to spend New Year with you." She smiled at the news. _Was it just me or was she even smaller than the last time I had seen her?_

For the next ten minutes, I fielded their questions about my trip. Of course I would be seeing Eric while I was here, but I would make plenty of time to see them. All day, every day, until they got fed up of me. When Jason asked if I needed a hand bringing my stuff in from the truck, I hastily told him I hadn't brought much. The excuse that I didn't own much suitable for Louisiana wear anymore smoothed things over, especially when I reminded him that I still had plenty of things here.

We spent the remainder of the evening in the living room with the television still playing game shows, although I don't think we watched it. I expressed my thanks for my gifts again and they did the same. I laughed at their antics over Christmas and since I had last spoken to them. I avoided an invitation from Jason to join him at Merlotte's, saying that I would go tomorrow. I had a feeling that everyone I knew in town would be at Merlotte's tomorrow. Word travelled fast in small towns.

Jason eventually said his goodbyes, giving me another tight hug. He promised to be safe on the roads, but reminded us that he'd only had two beers. By the time he left I had to agree that they should have worked out of his system. When Jason left, Gran started yawning. She refused to go to bed.

"What's going on, Sookie?" She asked, switching the television off as she spoke.

"What do you mean?"

"You told me not that long ago that you and Eric were just good friends. The next thing I know he's bought you a ticket home. Don't you say anything, yes, it's to visit your family, supposedly, as you say. I think it has more to do with seeing him." She didn't sound bitter, which was a little surprising. It seemed more like she just wanted the truth. It was startling how close she was getting. "You don't have anything with you, not even your purse. Just how much of a surprise was this really?" She gave me the Gran stare. I shrank back into the sofa.

"It was probably a bit more of a surprise than I let on. I really do have some stuff with me, it's just at Fangtasia. I was shattered and jetlagged when I landed." I was not lying with that little bit. "I went to Fangtasia and crashed since it was close. Eric greeted me there and then I drove over here. In my rush, I left my things there." A blush crept up my face. I really did hate lying to my Gran. However, I didn't think she would like the truth, no matter how much I brushed over the more bloody details.

"Hm." She huffed. I could tell she was just about to ask another question when there was a knock on the door. A smile instantly lit up my face. "I take it that's the man in question?" I nodded. "Well, whatever the real reason is that you're here, I'm glad that you are." As I passed her on my way to answer the door, I kissed her forehead. I had a feeling there would be more questions coming my way over the next week.

"Hey, Eric." I greeted my vampire as I opened the door. "Why don't you come on in." I opened the door wider. I wasn't entirely sure if he still had an open invite for the house, so I was covering my bases. He stepped into the house but didn't go any further.

"Good evening, Lover." He kissed me, softly and sweetly. I couldn't contain my grin. "I took the liberty of bringing the items that you left at Fangtasia." He held up my small suitcase as though it weighed nothing.

"Thanks, that helps a lot." I took the bag from him, dropping it carefully to the floor the instant I took its weight. I made quite the show of wheeling it into the living room so that Gran would see. "Gran, you remember Eric." Of course she did, but I wasn't entirely sure how else to do the greeting.

"Adele, it has been too long." Always the charmer Eric walked straight into the living room and took her hand, placing a kiss across her knuckles. I shook my head and then left the room. I put the suitcase in my old bedroom. I noted that it hadn't changed a bit since I had left.

When I had left for Paris, with the intention of moving on to London afterward, I had left it open-ended about what I would do in the distant future. I had never said I wouldn't return to Louisiana. I also hadn't given a time frame for anything. I had no idea how I would feel when I got to Europe; I might hate it or love it. It had turned out that I loved it and I was glad I hadn't given any sort of time frame. I had however, anticipated that my room would have changed. I wasn't entirely sure why. It wasn't like we needed anymore space; we had several rooms suitable for guests upstairs.

"Yes, I thought Sookie would appreciate a trip back to Louisiana. She tells me that she has not returned since she left. Perhaps she should see what she is missing." I stepped into the room and my gaze met Eric's eyes. He stared at me intently. He had meant for me to hear the last little bit.

I sat next to Gran on the sofa, which made a fleeting frown cross Eric's handsome face. I chose to ignore it; my Gran needed me more than he did at the moment. They continued to chat about things that had happened in the eighteen months since they had last seen each other. It was nearing two when Gran finally admitted that she was tired.

"Right. I'm off to bed. I'll see you in the morning, Sweetie. Love you." She kissed my forehead. "It was good seeing you again, Eric." She then disappeared into her room, clicking the door shut behind her softly.

I relaxed back into the sofa, letting my head hit the cushion and my eyes shut.

"You have no idea how many questions I answered before you got here." I spoke quietly, knowing that Eric would be able to hear me and not wanting to disturb Gran.

"Knowing Adele, I think I have an idea." Eric's voice was soft, but it came from much closer than I anticipated. When I opened an eye, I found his face mere inches from mine as he sat beside me on the couch. He hadn't even made the cushion dip when he sat. _Fucking vampires and their gracefulness._

"Maybe, but you weren't on the receiving end of it." A yawn practically split my face in half. There was no denying I was tired, even though I had slept most of the day away. "I'm going to bed. You coming?" I opened both eyes to watch his reaction. A small smile upturned his oh-so-kissable lips.

"Of course." I shook my head slightly at him and got up. I didn't bother sorting anything out behind me, knowing that he would turn out the light and close the door.

I side tracked into the bathroom to get ready for bed. When I padded into my room a few minutes later, my teeth brushed and after having a wash, I found Eric standing by my dresser. He was staring intently at the few photos that remained there.

"What's up?" I asked, moving to stand beside him. The photos that remained were quite the mix of memories. I pulled open a drawer and grabbed a set of pyjamas.

"These photos." His fingertips skimmed over a photo. It was me dressed in my old Fangtasia waitress uniform, playing the act up for the camera. Eric was sat on his throne at the bar, staring into the camera with a smug expression. I was leaning over the arm of the chair, bottle of synthetic blood in hand, while I placed a pouting kiss on his cheek. I happened to know that photo was still on the website as a publicity shot. It was beside a photo of me and Jason from when we were kids, running around in a summer rain shower. The two memories couldn't get much different. "Why are they still here?" His gaze danced around the blank spots on the dresser other photos had been. I had probably taken about half of the photos with me.

"I didn't take them all," I stated obviously as I finished getting changed. "The ones I took are in a photo album in London." I wasn't sure what was wrong with him. I wiggled underneath his arm and wrapped my own around his waist.

"Why? Why do these remain? How did you choose?" His fingers moved to dance over a couple of more photos, all of me and him. There was a shot of us together at Mardis Gras, on Halloween and just lounging in my college room. I remembered the night well. It wasn't that long after we had become what I would consider good friends. It was also the first time he visited my college house for a social visit. I didn't count saving me from a spider as a social call. We had been watching movies in the living room all night. I had gotten up to grab a drink when one of my housemates had gotten up to investigate the noise from the television. When she saw Eric, she had screamed, waking up the entire house.

"I only had room in my cases for one album, what with everything else. I chose my favourites." I had a feeling I knew what was wrong with him. Photos of me and Eric dominated what was left.

"These are not your favourites?" When I gazed up at him, I found his face was giving nothing away. I didn't need his expression to tell me anymore. He was thinking that I had left photos of him behind and taken ones with my friends.

"I loved them all, that's why they were printed. Do you remember sitting through Phantom of the Opera with me when it came to Shreveport? The last night we were together at my going away party? Our first date? My graduation?" He nodded his head and I saw the instant that he realised that I still had all of those favourite pictures with me. "They're in that album. I just didn't have enough space in there for all of them. I do have a digital copy of all of them, and more that I haven't printed. I got one of those digital photo frames when I got to Paris. They're all on a constant loop on there. It's in my bedroom. Didn't you see it?"

"I was a little preoccupied when we were in your room." I laughed. I had Eric back.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm dead on my feet." I tried to keep a straight face but ended up giggling. He chuckled too. "I'm going to bed." Not two seconds after I had pulled the covers back, Eric was already in bed, wearing seemingly nothing. "You're a little ridiculous, you know that, right?"

"Yes."

I didn't really care. I had my vampire in my bed. I snuggled down next to him and let our limbs tangle. It may have been odd and it may seem silly for a viking vampire to love to snuggle, but I wasn't complaining. I rested my head on that sweet spot, where his shoulder met his chest and simply relaxed, letting any tension melt away. That was until Eric spoke again, anyway.

"How long are you staying?" His voice was soft, belying the tension I could feel in his body.

"I told my family I was staying for a week." My eyes had fluttered closed, but I still felt him move to presumably look at me.

"I will sort your flight out."

"Thank- you." I snuggled against him slightly. There was no point in arguing and fighting to pay for my own flight would just end up hurting me. I didn't have that much spare cash. My eyes snapped open. I had a week at home. It finally dawned on me that I only had a week to see everyone and spend time with those I loved. "What are we going to do with this week?" I asked, looking up at him. He still had his head turned so that he could see me. The light wasn't on, so my view of him wasn't the best. I smiled softly. I wanted him to know that I needed to spend time with him.

"We can do what we did in London. Make the most of the short amount of time we have." I grinned. I knew that Eric wanted to spend time with me, but hearing the confirmation still made me happy.

"I would like that." His fingers began to play with the anchor charm around my neck. "I really do love it. Thank- you." My attention turned the charm hanging around his neck. It looked strange, seeing him with only one charm.

"I am glad. It looks good there." The chain was long enough that the charm fell between my breasts. I couldn't help rolling my eyes. "I like you wearing it. Do not take it off?" Those last few words were said without his usual confidence, as though he was hoping that I wouldn't.

"Don't worry, I don't. I haven't taken it off since I found it." His grin was my reward and I promised myself right then that I wouldn't ever take it off. We remained silent for a few minutes, just enjoying the closeness. "What happened at Fangtasia tonight?"

"The Queen has sent word that Arkansas has revoked the threat. They no longer have intention of overthrowing the Queen. They will likely seek revenge at some point. However, they do not have the power currently." His arm around me tightened, pulling me closer to his body so that we touched all the way down.

"So, will you be busy this week?" I let the hope I was feeling leak into my voice.

"No. I have Pam to coordinate things at Fangtasia. She will be able to handle things. I have to replace Lily, she was my fourth in command and she had many responsibilities." My heart tightened at the mention of Lily. I hadn't really known her, but she was sweet and she had been willing to die for her master. "That will be done in time, it is not a decision I wish to make lightly."

"We can spend lots of time together then." I kissed his chest. "What would you like to do?"

"I have many ideas." His hands began to roam lightly until they rested again in the same place. "But for now, sleep." He kissed my forehead and I felt the tension he had been holding onto slide away.

"Hmm." I sighed contentedly. "Goodnight, Eric." Once more I held back the words I felt like I needed to say to him.

"Goodnight, Lover." My eyes fluttered closed and sleep instantly grabbed onto my mind. "_I love you."_

When I awoke in the morning, it was to an empty bed, yet there was still a goofy smile plastered across my face. I didn't know why until my brain gave me a jolt when I remember what I'd heard. He must have thought I was sleeping when he whispered it. It seemed there was no denying our feelings anymore. I couldn't hide behind anything; it was all out in the open. Well, it was mainly out in the open. I'd told him while he was bound in silver and he'd said the magic words while I was half asleep. It still counted.

I lay in the comfort of my old bed, letting the feel of Louisiana comfort me and keep me in the blissful state of wakefulness, where everything is still perfect. Things actually got better when the delicious scent of cooking bacon permeated the air. It was enough to finally drag me from my bed and into the kitchen.

"Morning, Gran," I greeted her, even placing a kiss on her cheek. She'd even made fresh orange juice.

"Morning, Sookie. When did Eric leave?" She sent me a pointed look. It was enough to bring a small blush to my cheeks, even if last night had been innocent.

"I'm not sure, I was asleep." I shrugged my shoulders. There was no point denying that he had stayed the night in my room, it wasn't the first time either. Gran just liked to make me feel bad about it. Oddly enough, she didn't seem to mind too much. I chose to believe she just liked to see me happy, and as long as she didn't know any details as such, she could live in denial about what actually happened.

"Well, I'll tell you what time he left. Six thirty this morning! I caught him sneaking out! He tried to leave without saying goodbye!" I tried and failed to stifle my laughter. I could just imagine Gran berating him for trying to sneak out. "That boy needs to remember all of his manners. I know he's a charmer, but it won't get him everywhere." That brought on another fit of giggles. I don't think anyone had ever described Eric as 'boy'.

"I'll have a word with him, Gran." I would as well, just not in the context she would probably think.

"Yes, well. I still went to the store this morning and picked up some bottled blood for him." My heart strings were given a big tug. "I suppose he'll be around here a lot while you are?" She dished the bacon out and I noticed there were already sausages on the serving plate.

"Yeah, I think so. Do you want to know something Gran?" I felt the need to tell someone bubbling up through me.

"Of course." she brought the big plate over and set it down between us at the table before sitting down herself.

"He told me he loved me last night." The goofy grin was back in place. Gran smiled at me, her eyes crinkling.

"Of course he did. It's obvious." When I frowned at her she continued. "To me it's obvious anyway. I knew when you told me about your time in London together. That poor guy has loved you for years." She stopped talking to eat a piece of bacon. It was cooked to perfection.

"Yeah, I think he really might have been. The thing is though, I just don't think it'll work between us." I chewed on a piece of sausage, thinking about everything. The goofy smile was gone, replaced by the descent of what could be a foul mood.

"Why not?" Gran sounded indignant and like she thought I was being stupid.

"Well, I live in London and he lives here. He can't move to London, you know what his commitments are like to the vamps here. We have such different schedules that we can't do the long distance thing. We wouldn't see each other more than once, maybe twice a year." Oh yeah, my mood was darkening quickly.

"Well, that's still more than your family sees you." She had to get that dig in there. "Eric can't move to London. Fair enough. But you could always move back here." She avoided eye contact. It was no secret she wanted me back and this might just be giving her another argument for the cause.

It was true that her argument was growing stronger. Louisiana was my real home, it was where I was brought up, and I hadn't stopped thinking of it as such. My family were here as we my old friends. The man I loved was here. Yet, my life as I had made it was in London. Could I seriously leave behind everything I had made for myself? There was Amelia, not to mention my other close friends. My jobs were in London and I honestly enjoyed them. Most of the time, they didn't even feel like work. I got to bake for a living. Well, almost. I did pretty well for myself. Even the vampires in London were more in check and had boundaries. I would be lying to myself if I thought the vampires back here wouldn't make me work for them as soon as I got back. Did I want that life again? What would I even do if I came back here? I didn't want to go back to waitressing. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with it and I had definitely had fun, it just wasn't what I wanted to do. What were the chances I would be able to do similar jobs back over in Louisiana?

I finally settled with, "I don't know, Gran. It's complicated."

"Life is complicated, Sookie. You've never been afraid of going out there and grabbing life by the horns, bless you. Life is what you make it and you've made it pretty good. But do you have everything? No. Do you want everything?" I nodded. "Yes. Can you get everything?" When I didn't reply she continued. "Of course you can. You're Sookie Stackhouse. You're not afraid to make life what you want it to be. You're so stubborn you'd force it to happen." With that she got up from the table and left me alone to my thoughts, and the dishes.

Could I make it happen? Gran really made it sound like I could. Could I uproot my life again? What if it didn't work out with Eric? What would I do then?

There were so many things running round my head that I thought myself in circles. I didn't even notice when Jason walked in until he tapped me on the shoulder making me shriek.

"Good God! I should make you wear a cow bell!" I huffed and grabbed a tea towel to dry the pots I'd cleaned on autopilot.

"Wow. What were you spacing out over? I don't think I've ever snuck up on you." Even with my shields up, I knew when people were approaching. It's like their brains called out to me.

"It doesn't matter." I shrugged it off. No matter what I thought, I knew I wouldn't come to a decision quickly. Besides, I had to go back to London in seven days anyway. It was more of a question when would I come back and for how long.

"Suit yourself then, Sis. Anyway, I'm kidnapping you for the day." My heart jolted in my chest at the word. If Jason noticed anything he didn't mention it. "Everyone knows by now that you're back, Lord knows how. Anyway, Hoyt and the gang say that you're having lunch with us at Merlotte's. Knowing the crowd there, you'll be lucky to escape by midnight. Hey, is there anything left?"

"In the fridge, help yourself." It was typical Jason; planning lunch, but still stuffing his face. I finally glanced at the clock and found that it was already nearing eleven. I had slept in much later than I had anticipated. "I'll just need to shower and change. Have you run this plan by Gran?"

"Yeah. She's fine with it. After I invited her for dinner with us later anyway. You go get ready, I'll finish up here." I don't think I'd ever heard my brother offer to help with anything chore related.

"You feeling okay?" I put the back of my hand against his forehead. He didn't have a fever. "Banged your head?"

"I'm fine. I'm just getting us out of the door faster. Now, scoot!" He slapped me with the towel, making me high-tail it out of the room.

The day at Merlotte's was full of laughter and smiles. As I'd thought, it seemed everyone I knew found a reason to pop by, not that I was complaining. Lunch was spent with Jason's friends, who I was close with by default. Jason wasn't that much older than me, only a couple of years, so I'd grown up with the guys around. They all treated me like their little sister; teasing, joking and protective. The interim between lunch and dinner was spent catching up with Sam, my old boss and friend. We enjoyed quite a few games of pool as we all continued to drink. We did sober up enough for when Gran joined us. However, once she left again as the sun was setting, the drinking started again. It did feel like a celebration of sorts. I had a feeling I would have a massive hangover, just in time for New Year's Eve.

I felt Eric before I saw him. I had felt him wake up, as I usually did. It was a nice feeling, knowing that he was waking up and that I would actually get to see him. What I didn't anticipate, until he was nearly there, was that he would join me at Merlotte's. When we'd agreed to see other tonight, I'd assumed he meant that he would show up at my place later.

I don't know whether the bar actually did hush when he walked in, or whether it was just my drunken haze that made it seem so. Bon Temps had definitely grown used to not having a vampire within the town borders again. It seemed no one was sad to see the back of Bill. Eric however, was different. Whereas Bill had hurt one of their own, Eric had done nothing to upset them. So I didn't understand the hush.

Eric strode purposefully across the bar, heading straight for me. His hair, which had grown out again since London, was slicked back. Despite the chill in the air he had foregone a jacket, which allowed me ample time to ogle his muscles which were on clear display due to the tight t-shirt he wore. It was too bad I couldn't see his ass; the way the denim clung to his legs I knew the jeans would make his butt look fantastic. A smirk spread across my face; _my_ vampire was here.

He walked right up to me, stopping only a couple of inches away. His hands went straight to the back of my head and he pulled me in for a delicious kiss that left me gasping and wanting more.

"Good evening, lover." He whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. All I could see was his handsome face. How did I get so lucky?

"Hi," I whispered back and pulled him back down for another searing kiss. "Now, that is some greeting," I giggled. It was only then that I realised every single set of eyes in Merlotte's was on us. I ignored most of them and turned back to my friends, keeping a hold on Eric's hand. "Guys, you all remember Eric." The small group of people mumbled their hellos.

"Hey, man." Jason slapped Eric on the shoulder in some strange male greeting. I never would understand men. "Thanks for getting her to come back for a visit. It seems her family was a good enough reason." Jason spoke the last bit to me. I ignored him, taking another drink of my beer so that I wouldn't have to make eye contact. "You want a blood?"

"B positive." He flashed Jason a quick smile as his thanks. I had to give credit to my brother, he barely flinched at the sight of Eric's fangs.

"Sam, a bottle of B positive, please." Sam's friendly smile had morphed into a deep set glare, aimed at me and Eric.

"Sorry, we don't have any bottled blood left." Sam crossed his arms across his chest.

"What are you talking about? You were complaining yesterday that you had loads left after Bill left and didn't know what to do with it." Bless my brother, he had no idea of the tension rising between the two supes.

"I already tossed it down the drain." I could practically smell the testosterone in the air. When I glanced back at Eric, I found him staring back at Sam, his lips slightly parted to show off his fangs. Now the show of a greeting he had given me made sense. I slapped his chest. I would have slapped Sam too if I had been able to reach him across the bar.

"Stop it. Both of you! You don't have any blood, fine. If we come back again, I'll bring some and you can heat it up. Eric, you'll be fine for a couple of hours." My words had no effect.

"I could always take a drink from the source to tide me over." Eric's eyes slid down to me, driving his point home.

"No violence allowed on the property."

"Oh, I assure you. She is quite willing." Jason finally began to look uneasy. Sam paled at the thought.

"I said, stop it!" I hissed at them and moved physically between them. It might not have been my best idea to get between a vampire and a shifter squaring off.

"She is mine." I rolled my eyes. Sam's face turned to something too close to disgust for my liking.

"I can't believe you, Sookie. You stroll in here like you never left. I thought you were back, without any vampires in tow. Then, like a bad smell, he walks in, marking his territory." That tipped me over the edge.

"Right. That's enough. Both of you, fucking stop it. Sam, I'm with Eric. Eric, back down, you've made your point. I just want a nice evening with my friends, if you two can't be civil, I'll leave." Sam simply walked away. Eric smirked but relaxed slightly.

There was a history between those two. Sam had taken me under his wing when I was younger, recognising that I was a little bit different. He had been the first person outside of my family that I had trusted with my secret and there hadn't been many friends after that I'd told. I had never had any romantic feelings for him, but he always seemed keen on make me see differently. He hated Bill and he saw my relationship with Eric as just falling into bed with the next dead guy I knew. Eric had always known about Sam, I'd complained to him several times while we were friends. It seemed the jealousy hadn't died down.

"Thank- you." I kissed Eric's cheek and then turned back to my friends.

It was a little after midnight by the time we left Merlotte's. Eric drove me home, which saved the still sober Hoyt a job. Eric had turned up in one of his sports cars which looked out of place in Bon Temps. During my time in London, I'd gotten much better with recognising cars. Fancy cars were all over the place in the city and Amelia's boyfriend was a mechanic. Tray would talk for hours about the latest cars unless Amelia told him to shut up.

"Ah, the stars." I sighed, staring up at the sky as we drove. "How wonderful it is to see you."

"If it were warmer I would take you star-gazing." Eric was completely relaxed as he drove, one hand leisurely on the steering wheel.

"You could always keep me warm." I imitated his eyebrow wiggle and burst out laughing.

"Sookie, I do believe you are drunk." His fangs were incredibly white in the dim light.

"Yep!" I replied, popping the last sound, making it a two syllable word. "But, you like me drunk."

"I simply like you."

"Aw." I changed positions to lie my head on his shoulder, not caring that there was a gap between us since we were in the car. "You say the sweetest things."

"Only to you."

"It better be only to me." I knew what he meant. To most people he presented a tough, stern exterior. It was true, mostly; he was the strongest person I knew both physically and mentally. However, once you actually got to know him, his shell cracked to reveal the gooey centre. "Now, why don't you whisper some more sweet nothings in my ear while we have some fun."

"You know I would love nothing more, however, I happen to know that Adele is at your house. She already berated me this morning, I have no desire for a repeat performance."

"I can be quiet."

"You are drunk." It was a brilliant retort.

"Car?" It was a last resort. He actually snorted at the idea. I had to admit the logistics would be pretty interesting to figure out; no back seat, bucket seats and a vampire so big he made most people feel like a midget. "Cuddle?"

"Yes." He placed a quick kiss to the top of my head, bringing the smile back to my face.

We spent the next part of the journey in silence. It didn't take very long as it was only a few miles from Merlotte's to my place. When we got in, Eric made me get ready in the bathroom while he grabbed a glass of water for me. He stated that while he didn't want another berating from my Gran, his control where I was concerned wasn't good enough to watch me change. When I emerged from the bathroom, in my pyjamas and minty fresh breath, he was already in bed. I bit my lip to keep myself quiet when I saw his naked chest. His biceps were tensed as he folded his arms behind his head to act as another pillow.

"How did I get so lucky?" I asked, voicing my question from earlier as I climbed in beside him.

"Hmm. Let me see. You showed up at Fangtasia and would not let me get away with anything. I had to see how long it would last." I snuggled in beside him as I giggled. I was practically laid on top of him. "I am still waiting."

"You always will, I'm never going to stop."

"I should hope not." He moved his arms to wrap around my waist, holding me in place.

"I missed you." I told him softly as I gazed at his face. "And now we only have another week." Sadness began to rear its ugly head.

"I know." He moved me slightly, so I was lying on him and so that I was higher up his chest. "I missed you, too." He kissed me softly and not for long enough.

"Amelia said something funny when I was leaving. She said that you would get all pouty because a woman saved you. You didn't pout at all." He laughed quietly, mindful of my Gran. I could tell she was sleeping soundly; she hadn't even stirred when we came in.

"Why would I pout? It may have been a woman rescuing me but I am not insecure enough to resent it. Besides, you are not exactly just any woman. You are my woman." His arms tightened around me.

"Only if you're my vampire." Even if he didn't like the terminology, I wasn't going to stop referring to him as such.

"Of course."

"I like that." It was my turn to kiss him. "What are you doing for New Year's Eve?"

"I was planning on just being where ever you decided on being." My heart melted just a little bit more. Just as I thought I had grown used to how sweet he could be with me, he had to delve deeper.

"Is Fangtasia having a party?" He nodded. "Then we'll go there. We'll get to see Pam too. I'll have to spend at least some of the evening with my family but then it's all good."

"Hmm." He kissed me again, his tongue exploring. "Good. I cannot have you kissing anyone else at midnight." He was being a little possessive again and it did weird things to me.

"Well that's good, because I don't want to kiss anyone else at midnight, or ever. I just want you, all of you." If only he knew exactly what I meant with that statement.

**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed, please keep up the fantastic feedback. It keeps making me smile on some horrendous days. **

**See you all next week**


	10. Chapter 9

**Thanks to my wonderful beta Lauinia :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own, the Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris**

I woke again the next morning to an empty bed. There was no goofy smile this morning. There was only coldness. I missed having his cool, strong arms wrapped around me and snuggling into his chest, feeling like nothing could ever hurt me. I never felt as safe as when I was wrapped up in my vampire. When we had been in London, he had said good morning or goodbye to me every day, even if he had to wake me up. When I dragged myself out of bed, having no desire to doze, I found Gran in the kitchen, making breakfast.

"Morning," I told her glumly. My head was pounding, which definitely wasn't helping my mood. I'd drunk the glass of water that had been left on my bedside table, but it hadn't done much to help. The painkillers I'd taken would hopefully begin to have an effect soon. Until then, I needed grease.

"Morning, Sookie. Your talk with Eric worked." I turned around from the dish of buttermilk pancakes I was helping myself to.

"Huh?" I grabbed a generous helping of bacon to accompany my stack.

"Manners. He stopped by the kitchen this morning to say hello and to ask my permission." I whirled around this time, my eyes as big as saucers. Gran didn't seem to notice. "It was so nice of him to ask if he could steal you away for New Year's Eve. I told him it was fine, after we'd had a family dinner of course." Gran finally looked up at me and saw my expression, which hadn't quite returned to normal yet. "Was that okay? I thought you'd want to go with him?"

"Oh yeah," I replied, recovering as fast as I could. My mind, in its degenerated state, had jumped far too much. "We were talking about it last night." I joined Gran at the table. "What do you have planned for today?" As soon as the bacon touched my tongue, I felt better. I didn't care if no hangover cures were proven to work, this one worked for me. Even if it was a placebo type effect, it still worked and that's all that mattered.

"Well, I thought you might like to go shopping for a new dress." I hadn't thought about what I would wear to Fangtasia. I'd had a quick glance through my sparse closet here yesterday to find some general clothes, but hadn't even thought to look at my more formal wear.

"That might be a good idea, but I haven't looked to see what I've got yet."

"Well, every girl deserves a new dress and besides, this is my treat. You have a new beau and you need to impress." She finished her breakfast and went to the sink to start washing up.

"Gran, it's Eric. There's nothing new about him. Besides, he's seen me in a lot worse than the dresses I have here."

"Oh, yes?" She really did live in denial.

"Old, ratty sweats and such. He seemed to like the dresses I have when he saw them before." I shrugged and grinned when she shovelled some more bacon onto my plate. I would definitely have to hit the gym when I got back to London. Just by stopping eating Southern food all the time I'd dropped a dress size. _Shit. _"Actually, I don't know if anything will fit."

"Exactly. And if Eric has seen these dresses before, even more reason to get a new one. We'll head into Tara's and then you can help me with chores to say thanks."

"Sure thing, Gran," I grinned.

That dictated how I spent my day. The morning was spent at Tara's boutique shop looking for a dress. I even bought myself new shoes and a clutch. The afternoon was spent helping Gran clean the house, even doing the chores that she didn't do very often such as washing the curtains. Together we got everything done. As the day progressed, we prepared and cooked a veritable feast for the three of us to enjoy. It was even more delicious than anticipated. I tried not to eat too much, not wanting to feel too full since I would hopefully be dancing the night away. I ended up packing up a lot in Tupperware for me to eat over the next couple of days.

When Eric arrived, Gran and I were still busy getting me ready. Gran had taken great delight when I'd asked her to help me with my hair. It seemed to be taking her back to my childhood when she would brush my hair every day. When Eric knocked, I had simply called out for him to come in.

"I will never get used to that hearing of his." Gran muttered as she heard the front door open a second after my, quite quiet, call. "Don't you dare come in here, Mister!" She added, practically yelling. "Sookie is not ready. You will wait in the kitchen." Gran went back to adding some extra waves to my hair. I was nearly ready, these were the last few touches.

"Yes, Adele." Eric replied. My Gran was the only person who really had any control over Eric. Yes, he would do what I wanted, to please me or if he wanted to anyway. Gran however, seemed to be able to make him do anything she wanted. It was actually hilarious to see her bossing him around.

"Good boy. Now Sookie, I think you are ready." She placed the curler down on the vanity, making sure that it was switched off. I stood up to look at myself in the mirror. I had to smile at my reflection. "You are beautiful." Gran stood beside me, her arm around my waist. I couldn't help but think how small she was. I didn't remember her only reaching my shoulder.

"Thank- you." I kissed her cheek, having to stoop since I was wearing heels.

"Now, you go and have a good night with that man of yours."

I walked into the kitchen to find Eric leaning back against the counter, looking at something intently on his phone. When I walked in, he glanced up, his phone instantly forgotten. I heard Gran walk up behind me, but I didn't pay her any attention. My eyes were all for my vampire. He looked delectable, all in jet black, from his shiny shoes, dress pants and button down shirt. The shirt was of course open at the neck, showing off a few inches of his chest. I could just see the eagle talon.

"Hi," I greeted him, stepping closer so that I could kiss him. I purposefully kept it chaste, knowing we weren't alone.

"You are beautiful," he whispered in my ear as he drew me in for a hug and another kiss.

My new dress was such a dark blue that it looked black unless in the correct light. It was all flowing lines yet tight enough to show off my small waist. The ribbon straps that flattened over my collar bones were enough that I wasn't self-conscious about having to keep the dress pulled up. It ghosted my knees, the perfect length for swishing when I moved. The shoes gave me a few inches of extra height, meaning that I could actually see over his shoulder with straining.

"Not too shabby yourself." He smiled, flashing fangs.

"I think we had better get going since we are driving. Adele, I shall see you tomorrow. Have a pleasant evening."

After our quick goodbyes, we got in the truck that I'd been using to get to Fangtasia. Eric had flown to my place so that we could take the car and I would be able to drive back in the morning. The drive was spent in comfortable silence, each of us lost in thought as we stared out of the windows. Eric was of course driving. He held my hand the entire way above the centre console.

With only a couple of hours to go until midnight, the parking lot at Fangtasia was already packed when we arrived. We pulled into the spot reserved for Eric near the staff entrance and completely avoided the queue at the door. Instead, we just used the back entrance.

"I just need to check something." I had already walked past Eric's office when he spoke. I'd continued walking as he made sure the door was locked.

"Oh, okay." I retraced a few steps and waited by the open office door as he clicked through the computer that was already running.

"You know, my office smells like you now." He didn't bother looking up from the computer screen as he spoke. I felt a blush colour my cheeks.

"Sorry." I shrugged my shoulders, unsure what else I could do.

"Do not apologise, did I say it was a bad thing?" This time he did glance up.

"Well, no, you didn't."

"Exactly. Okay, everything is sorted." I stretched out my hand for him, which he quickly took.

"What were you doing?" I kissed his cheek just before we stepped out into the hallway to head to the main bar. With the sound proofing I couldn't hear any of the chaos that I knew was occurring on the other side of the wall.

"I was correcting some playlist choices for tonight. I had a feeling Pam would have added in a few gag songs." We reached the door and I pushed it open. Immediately the sound assaulted my ears and the stuffy smell of too many warm bodies dancing filled my nose.

I hadn't seen Fangtasia open for nearly two years. If anything, it seemed to have grown in popularity. Humans and vampires were having a good time, dancing away the final part of the year. It wasn't just the vampires on staff at the bar either, there were too many of them for that to be the case. We made our way slowly over toward the bar, which was being staffed by several people to meet the demand. The progress was slow since I was making the path; I lacked Eric's ability to make the crowds part. He however, seemed content to follow. I had a feeling he was probably watching my ass.

"I'll have a bloody margarita," I told the bar tender. He had magically appeared in front of me as soon as he'd spotted Eric standing behind me. At Fangtasia, that was an order for a strawberry margarita, they added a little extra red food dye to make it look a little darker.

"Coming right up. Evening boss." The bartender moved down the bar to sort out a drink and I noticed him putting a bottle of blood in the microwave for Eric as well.

"Do you recognise him?" Eric asked as we waited for the drinks. He was speaking directly into my ear so I could hear him clearly. I looked at the vampire bartender and thought about him. Recognition dawned on me; he had been here the last time I had been at Fangtasia nearly two years ago. "When you are not around, we can keep them." He kissed the sensitive skin just beneath my ear. "Do not scare this one away. I do not want to have to replace a bartender too." He nipped my earlobe this time and I laughed, leaning back into him as I did so.

"Here you go." The bartender, whose name I didn't know, placed Eric's bottle and then my glass down in front of us. He walked away before I could even tip him. I knew better than to try and pay for my drinks here, but I usually at least tipped.

"He seems nice." I replied. I took a sip of my drink and let the refreshing drink slide down my throat. It was just how I liked it; the frozen variety and heavy on the tequila.

"He is." This was from a very familiar drawl. I looked sideways to find Pam standing next to me dressed in a gorgeous vampiric black and red dress that left little to the imagination. She was stunning. "Now, you better drink that up. I have a date with you on the dance floor." I did as she asked and left Eric's arms to dance with my friend.

That was how I spent the next couple of hours. In between dancing with Pam to the songs that I actually knew, I got drinks at the bar with Eric. My vampire spent quite a bit of time talking with local vampires; it seemed most of the vampires in his area were present tonight. There were many familiar faces in the crowd that I had known from working for Eric. I did manage to get him out on the dance floor for a few of the slower numbers. His hands constantly wandered, a mischievous glint in his eyes, as he tested how far he could get.

The music was turned down slightly as the countdown started, until at the ten second mark it was switched off. All of the waitresses worked quickly to distribute party poppers to all of the guests and even to Eric. The little plastic bottle filled with confetti looked ridiculous in his hands, yet he smiled at me, showing me that he didn't care. The DJ for the night took the microphone and led the crowd in the countdown.

"Ten, nine, eight..." I stood in front of Eric, enveloped in his arms. I couldn't hear him counting down. To a vampire as hold as him, another new year didn't mean all that much when he'd already seen more than a thousand. Beside us I could see many happy couples and groups of friends drunkenly counting down. "Seven, six, five." Somewhere in the room an overzealous guy let loose with his party popper too soon. The bar tenders moved to the bells they used to call last orders. "Four, three, two." I twisted around in Eric's arms, keeping our bodies pressed together. His face was all I could see. "One." His arms tightened around me.

"Happy New Year!" The shouting chorus resounded around us, yet it was the soft words from my vampire that I focused on.

"Happy New Year, Lover." I barely had time to get my words out before our lips met. His hands were fierce on my back, keeping me pressed in to him, as though I had any intention of moving away even a fraction. I kissed him back, letting my tongue explore his mouth. Expertly, I teased us both, running my tongue over his fangs yet not quite enough to draw blood. The party raged on around us and the music picked up again, as loud as ever, but I didn't pay it any attention. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, pulling myself up slightly. His strong hands worked to pull me up even further until we were level. Still we explored, loving each sensation.

When he finally let my feet touch the floor again we parted. My hands instantly rested against his chest for support; my knees were weak. My eyes opened and laughter instantly burst out. Eric's head was covered in the paper string confetti of party poppers. It rained down over his shoulders. I glanced down and found that it covered my arms too and my shoulders. The people around us had gone back to enjoying the night, but the veritable pile of party poppers around us was enough to fill in what had happened.

"Happy New Year!" I said again and then pulled the string to my popper which I had remarkably managed to keep hold of. It exploded over Eric's head, adding more multicoloured paper to his hair.

"I will get you for that," he teased even as he brought up his own popper. I blinked, partially steeling myself. I didn't hear anything. The only thing that told me it had gone off was the tickling sensation as the paper rained down on my skin. "Come here." He grabbed my hand, throwing the waste plastic to the floor, and pulled me to him again. He dipped me back, leaning over me and brought his lips down to mine.

I didn't care, that once again, we were in a crowded bar. Nobody around paid us any attention now that the music had started up. Adrenaline surged through me as I convinced my body to trust Eric like my mind did; I wasn't going to fall. When he pulled away slightly, it was only to place one more open-mouthed kiss on my throat. Slowly, he eased me back up to standing. My breath was coming in small pants and I could feel my heart thudding in my chest.

"Eric," I whispered, leaning in close. "Can we get out of here?" I let my fingers trail across the bare patch of his chest where his shirt was unbuttoned.

"Of course." It might have just been my mind playing tricks on me, but I thought his voice had gone a note or two deeper. I kissed his cheek before settling back beside him.

On our way to the staff door we came across Pam. Actually, she was leaning against the door with her arms crossed. She had an amused smirk across her face. Her lipstick was also smudged. It seemed she'd found someone to kiss at midnight too.

"Going somewhere?" She drawled.

"We're going to call it an early night," I replied while Eric seemed to be just staring at his progeny.

"That party is only just getting started. We're going until six." I had known this. Even without the feelings Eric had roused in me at midnight, I had not planned on staying that long.

"I'm still on London time," I lied. We all knew precisely where Eric and I were going. Since Pam was just being annoying for the fun of it, I launched myself at her. "Happy New Year, Pammy!" I wrapped my arms tightly around her, swaying as I hugged her.

"Hmm. What have I said about calling me Pammy?" I simply laughed at her and hugged her a little tighter. Eventually she returned the movement. "Have a good night. Make sure you make this year what you want it to be and see it with who you want to be with." She whispered into my ear as she held me close. I knew what she was telling me. She was telling me to go after Eric.

"Goodnight, Pam. Hands off my woman," Eric laughed as he extricated me from Pam's arms. It didn't escape my notice how he softly ran his thumb across her shoulder even as he shoved her away.

As soon as the staff door was shut behind us, sealing out the sound of the bar, I spun around. "How about a stop by your office?"

When I awoke in the morning, Eric's arm was still wrapped possessively around my waist, his hand resting between my breasts. It seemed even in vampire sleep, he was insatiable. I stretched out languidly, easing my aching muscles. This was how I liked it, waking up like this. The bed was still cold, Eric didn't have a body temperature, but I wasn't alone. I felt loved and treasured. I carefully touched the necklace around my neck. Gran had tried to get me to take it off last night as it didn't go with the dress very well. I had flat out refused. When I had told her why, she had gotten misty eyed.

I reached for my phone on the bedside table, not quite leaving Eric's arm. I found a message from Amelia telling me to call her as soon as possible. I had texted her at midnight her time but hadn't gathered a response. The rest of my unread messages were the usual greetings to which I quickly replied. There was also one from Jason trying to make plans for the last night that I would spend in Louisiana. I would deal with that later, instead I called Amelia.

"Sookie!" Amelia screamed as she picked up the phone. She was so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear slightly. It was a good job Eric was dead to the world, she would have woken anyone sleeping normally.

"Hey, Ames. What's up?" It would be early evening her time. She sounded far too excited for the day.

"You will never believe what happened at our party last night!" She was squealing again. I couldn't help becoming excited with her; she was contagious.

"Tell me!"

"Well, you know how we changed our plans." Instead of going out in London and watching the fireworks from the park like she normally did, she had stayed in with Tray. Of course, she'd had a few friends around and her father was supposed to have come up for the party. I hummed, telling her to continue. "Well, Tray proposed!"

"Oh my god!" I squealed right back at her. Elation bubbled through me. All I wanted to do was throw my arms around her and jump up and down together. "You said 'yes' right?"

"Duh! Oh my God, Sookie, I'm engaged! I can't believe it." Her voice rose another octave as she spoke until at the end she just made a happy little scream.

"How did he pop the question?"

"He was actually romantic, for once." We both laughed. One of Amelia's biggest relationship grumbles was that Tray didn't have a romantic bone in his body. He loved her dearly, he just didn't have a clue about what she needed sometimes. "We were all hanging around, I didn't suspect anything. We put the countdown on T.V. and then at midnight, instead of everyone yelling out, he dropped down on one knee. He promised to love me, and told me how I made him so happy. Then he asked 'would you make me happy forever and be my wife'. I can't believe everyone knew!" My heart tightened at that last statement. Everyone had known. I hadn't known.

"That's amazing, Amelia," I told her honestly. Despite my own feelings, I was truly happy for my friend. She deserved this.

"I have something to ask you. Well one thing important and then lots of things about what's happening with you." I laughed as she rambled.

"Ask away." I pushed Eric onto his back and settled down into his side. I honestly didn't find it weird anymore when he slept like this.

"Will you be my maid of honour?" My gasp revealed my shock. "You're my best friend, Sookie. I want you there with me." I didn't even have to think about my decision.

"Of course I'll be your maid of honour. I love you, Amelia."

"I love you too." She paused for a second and I could hear her drinking something. "Now remember that love when I grill you. What's going on with your and that hunky piece of man meat?"

I burst out laughing. It was a very good job that Eric couldn't hear her; his ego didn't need inflating anymore. "Amelia!"

"What? I told you to remember the love! Don't bring me down from my high." I could hear the pout in her voice.

"Are you _drunk?_"

"Maybe. We didn't really sleep at all, so I'm probably still drunk. God, tomorrow is gunna be painful. I just can't bring myself to care. Now, spill." I knew better than to argue with her. She would keep pestering me until I answered.

"Well, let's put it this way, I'm in his bed right now." I gave her a quick overview of our New Year's Eve and the past couple of days. I rolled over to face my vampire. His face was completely relaxed, his jaw slightly open.

"Wow. So are you two officially together then, or what?" That was a much more complicated question.

"I don't know." I replied honestly, feeling my insecurities building up.

"What do you mean you don't know? Sookie, you're in his bed. You flew across an ocean and a continent to save his ass. How can you not know? I was hoping for better after our last conversation." She huffed. I could just imagine her folding her arms across her chest and tapping one foot.

"It's complicated. We're together while I'm here, he's made his schedule as free as possible to spend every evening with me. We haven't really spoken about what happens when I leave. I don't know what will happen. Nothing has really changed from when he left London. I suppose things will go back to how they were." My beautiful morning was gone. There was still residual happiness for Amelia, that wouldn't go away, but bitterness was also rising. She managed to get everything; she loved her work, was close enough to her family and she was going to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved. Whereas I lived near my friends and beloved work yet thousands of miles away from my family and the man I loved.

"Well un-complicate it. You love him. He loves you." I hadn't even mentioned to her what I thought I had heard Eric say. "You need to make it work. I'm not going to have you moping around while we make plans for my wedding."

"I know, Amelia. I need to do something." In the background I could hear Tray shouting for her followed by several mumbled voices.

"Look, I got to go. Tray's family is here. Let me know what's happening and I'll meet you at the airport." We both knew no matter what I would have to go back to London at least for a little bit.

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you too."

I stayed cocooned up in the sheets for quite a while. I hadn't gotten that much sleep the night before, yet I couldn't get my mind to rest enough to sleep. Amelia had told me to un-complicate things and I simply didn't know how to. The situation in its simplest form was that I wanted Eric. However, I couldn't leave it like that. I had to admit that it seemed Eric wanted me too. I had to stop lying to myself about that part; the man had professed his love to me. Granted, it was while he thought I was asleep, but he had still said the words which were a big deal coming from him. There was also the slight matter that we lived on different continents and neither of us could move easily. It made a hell of a lot more sense for me to move back; I had family, friends and Eric here. But I also had my life in London; friends, work and I loved my life. I had to seriously think about whether I was willing to risk it all to move back home for the man I loved.

I was contemplating everything over the next few days, whenever I got a moment alone. There actually weren't that many of them. I had lots of people to see and I wanted to spend as much time with Gran as possible before I had to leave. All too soon the day came when once again I had to say a tear-filled goodbye. I had said my goodbye to my friends the previous night at Merlotte's so it was only Gran and Jason left. It didn't make it any easier.

"Oh, I'm going to miss you so much!" Gran told me as she squeezed the air out of my body with her surprisingly strong arms. Her eyes had been glistening all day and now the tears actually fell. "I want you to let us know as soon as you land. We need to make sure you're okay." She held my face between her hands, making me look into her eyes as I promised. "It's been wonderful having you home for a week. I wish you could stay longer." We had been over this several times in the past couple of days. I wasn't staying any longer, no matter how much I wanted to. I had responsibilities back in London and my flight was already booked.

"I know, Gran. I'll miss you too. Now give me another hug." I pulled her back into my arms, holding her tightly. She smelled like home and family. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She kissed my cheek and finally stepped back, the tears falling in streams down her face now.

Jason stepped forward and pulled me into a massive bear hug. "Well, Sis. It's been great seeing you. Have a safe flight. Remember to have some fun once in a while, you're too uptight." I slapped him round the back of the head for that comment, albeit softly. "Love you." He whispered the words in my ear, making my own tears leak.

"Love you, too." I gave him one final squeeze and then turned around to get in the car. Eric was already in the driver's seat, giving us some privacy as we said our goodbyes. My luggage was safely stowed away in the trunk.

"Are you ready?" Eric asked as he took my hand in his. His cool skin was comforting and I gripped on, seeking strength.

"As I'll ever be." I turned around in my seat and waved with my free hand until we reached the end of the driveway. Jason had already started steering Gran back indoors with an arm around her shoulders. "Gah," I sighed as I faced the road ahead. "Why is this so painful?" I wasn't expecting an answer, so I was shocked when Eric spoke.

"Because you love them." I wiped the tears from my eyes as I stared at him. He was, of course, right. I was also leaving once again without knowing when I would next see them. No one had made plans to visit, although I now knew that I had to make a bigger effort to at least return for a vacation.

"I thought you didn't understand love?" I asked, referring to something he had once told me in the heat of an argument a long time ago. I had known it was bullshit even back then.

"I changed my mind." He smiled softly, still not taking his eyes from the road.

The rest of the journey into Shreveport was spent in silence. This time I would be leaving from the small local airport and flying up to New York to head back to Heathrow. I also wasn't actually leaving on the red eye like my family thought. Eric had convinced me, and it hadn't taken much persuasion, to spend one final night with him at his apartment. I would be flying out just before dawn, which gave me nearly twelve hours before I had to say what I anticipated to be the hardest goodbye of all.

The familiar buildings of Shreveport began to show up quickly on the horizon and soon we were zipping through the city. I was still lost in thought, even as I took in the sights. I hadn't decided what I was going to do. I was returning to London. I was coming back to Louisiana, at some point that was a given. I just didn't know whether I would be coming back for good or for a visit. I knew that Eric and I couldn't keep going on like this, stealing a week together here and there. It wasn't fair on either of us.

It was that thought that had made me decide to do something about it. Tonight would be the night for a decision. I was going to ask Eric one very simple question and his answer would change a lot of things. Over the past few days, I had decided that I was willing to risk everything for Eric. Although I was risking my life in London, it wasn't as if I wouldn't be happy back at home and I could always move back, or perhaps even try another new city. However, if Eric didn't give me something to work with, I wasn't willing to risk everything. I couldn't justify packing up my life to move back on hearing him say 'I love you' while he thought I was asleep. Therefore, tonight would be a very big night.

We left my luggage in the car since I wouldn't need any of it. I just took my purse with me. The ride up to Eric's apartment was quick and full of companionable silence. His cool arm was draped around my shoulders, keeping me flush to his side. Everything inside was exactly the same as it had been on New Year's Eve. The magazines hadn't even moved. He really hadn't been spending much time in his apartment.

"Would you like to order some food?" He asked as he made his way through the apartment.

"Sure." Eric disappeared into his bedroom, presumably to change. I was already dressed as comfortable as I could get. Sweatpants and a hoodie were my attire, the same thing I always wore, if I could, for flying. I didn't see the point in dressing up if you were just going to sit down for hours on end.

I padded into the living room to grab the phone so that I could call the pizza company that was on speed dial. I think Eric must have been the only vampire that had take-out restaurants programmed into his home phone's speed dial. I had to grin. I had just finished placing my order, and letting the front desk know to expect someone in half an hour, when Eric emerged.

"Looking good," I told him with a giggle. His ego didn't need stroking anymore but I was being honest. Dressed only in a pair of thick black sweatpants he looked good enough to eat. He hadn't bothered with a t-shirt, it wasn't like he was going to get cold, and he was even barefoot.

"Go get the television started. I will grab drinks." I did as I was told and made myself comfortable in the living room area.

"How do you feel about Shaun of the Dead?" I asked him. His reply came from much closer than I had anticipated.

"I have never seen it." I glanced around to find him standing behind the sofa, already a bottle of warmed up synthetic blood in one hand and a can of diet coke in the other.

"Ha, great. You'll love it." It was brilliant British comedy. I hadn't seen it until I had gone to London and had fallen in love with the actors after seeing them in a couple of other movies. Eric would hate the zombies in the film but would love to pull it to pieces. "Thanks." I took the coke and placed it down on a coaster on the coffee table after taking a drink. "I want my pillow now." I added with a smirk.

"Fine," he huffed, sighing exaggeratedly. "What I do for you." He said as well, even as he settled down onto the sofa, pulling me on top of him.

"You know you like it, so stop complaining." I got comfortable on his chest, wrapping myself up in my vampire. I wasn't going to pull the big guns out until later. I wanted to enjoy my evening first.

"I know." He enveloped me in his arms and placed a kiss on the top of my head. With my ear flat against his chest, I could feel his heart beating slowly. He knew he didn't have to do that, but he also knew I quite liked to hear it. It was as though his heart was beating just for me.

We stayed like that, watching the movie until the pizza arrived. Even while I was eating, we were as close as we could comfortably get. Eric stayed laid down as I huddled beside him, my legs over his hips. His hands rested on my shins, occasionally drawing lazy circles with his fingers.

"Amelia called earlier while I was packing." It wasn't one of those movies where we would lose the plot if we had a conversation. At the moment the people were practising their zombie impressions to try and get through a big group of the undead.

"Is everything okay?" His gorgeous blue eyes gazed up at me from behind long eyelashes.

"Yeah. They picked a date for the wedding is all; July 6th this year." His face softened when he realised that I wasn't telling him anything bad.

"That is good. Perhaps I should send her a congratulations present," he mused thoughtfully. His eyes seemed to have glazed over, letting me know his thoughts were far away.

"You barely know her. You guys met once. I don't think you need to do that." I finished my slice of pizza and pushed the box away. I knew that I would eat more, even though I was full, if I could reach it.

"She is your best friend and she took care of you while I was gone. I feel like I owe her a gift."

"Well, that sure is very sweet of you." I leaned forward to give his cheek a quick peck. It didn't end up like that. Eric's hands moved quickly from my legs to my waist and pulled so that I ended up laid on top of him once more. He really did like it when I used him as a big pillow. "Easy there, I just ate," I laughed, swatting his chest playfully.

"Do you have any ideas what I should get her?" I thought for a moment and realised I needed more clarification.

"How much are we talking here?" He simply stared at me. "Okay. Well, how about something for the wedding? You could hire her car or something. She would love that. Plus, it's definitely you."

"That sounds good. I trust it you will be helping plan the event?" He raised one blond eyebrow.

"Yeah, Maid of Honour. It's part of the duty. Amelia is already on my back to plan a bachelorette party. That one's entirely on me. We'll be doing plenty of planning over the next couple of months."

"Perfect. Just charge whatever vehicle she chooses to my account and let her know it was from me."

"I will do. Now, come here you big softy." I leaned up and gave him a slow, sweet kiss.

"Hmm. Just do not let anyone know just how soft I can be. My reputation would be damaged." I giggled softy against his lips and then leant in for another kiss. His hands wound around my ass which he used as leverage to pull me up a little closer. "Better." He kissed me again, his lips moving perfectly with mine. I could just feel the hard press of fangs underneath.

"Hold on one second." He frowned at me, but let me go. I leaned over to the coffee table and grabbed my phone.

"What are you doing?" He asked suspiciously as he eyed my cell phone.

"Nothing," I replied with a smile as I unlocked my phone. Before he could say anything else, or discard my phone, I snapped a photo of him. I stifled my laugh as his image appeared on the screen. He looked a little annoyed. If I didn't know any better I would say he was pouting.

"Why do you need a photo? I thought you had plenty." He pulled me back down with his strong arms to help me pose. I snuggled into his side and smiled up at my phone.

"I do have lots, but never enough. You know what I'm like. I don't have any of us from this trip. Actually, I think my Gran does from New Year's Eve but I haven't seen them yet." I took one more photo as I placed a kiss against his cheek. After checking that we were both in the frame, I placed my phone back down on the table.

"Send me a copy when you get them and of those you just took." I settled back down on his chest so that our faces were only inches apart.

"I will." I kissed his lips chastely. He really could be so adorable at times. I don't think anyone else saw him quite like this, not even Pam. "Now, where were we?" I leaned down and gave him a more lingering kiss.

"Eric," I said quietly. My heart had finally stopped thundering in my chest, only to start galloping as my nerves took over. The jelly feeling was long gone.

"Are you okay? Your heart is racing." He sat up a little further in the bed, taking me with him. Worry was creasing his forehead.

"Yeah. At least I think so." I took a deep breath, readying myself for the plunge. I needed to do this, for both our sakes.

"Then what is it?"

"I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past week. If I'm honest, I probably started thinking about it all after our time together in London. My Gran's been on my case about it pretty much since I moved away, but this is the first time I've given it any serious consideration.

I had a life in London, but I also have a potential life back here. I _had _a life back here. My family is here, I still have friends. I could find work. I have you here. However, I have work and some amazing friends in London. I can't just give it all up for nothing. I know what my feelings are. And I would move back if there was a bigger reason to. At the moment my family isn't quite enough." I paused, letting my words sink in. I closed my eyes for a second, willing myself to have the guts to say what I was about to. My future hinged on his response.

"Eric, I love you." Momentary relief washed over me as I finally admitted the words out loud to the vampire I loved and had loved for quite a while. "Give me a reason to stay."

**Thanks for reading and for everyone that has reviewed so far, especially the guests who I can't respond to. **

**I'm now officially a 4th year vet. All my placements are finished, I'm just waiting for classes to start :) so happy about my career right now**

**See you all next week**


	11. Chapter 10

**Massive thank- you to my wonderful beta Lauinia :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own, the sourthern vampire mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris**

_"Eric, I love you." Momentary relief washed over me as I finally admitted the words out loud to the vampire I loved and had loved for quite a while. "Give me a reason to stay." _

_I stared across at him, holding my breath as I waited for a response. I didn't have any idea what he would do. My heart thudded in my chest and I thought it might break a rib. I bit down on my lower lip. The sharp pain gave me something else to focus on. Just as panic was beginning to take over, Eric's face softened. His hand came up to caress my cheek. A thumb stroked across my bottom lip, pulling it out from between my teeth and wiping away the droplet of blood. Slowly, so that I watched every movement, he leaned forward until his face was centimetres away. His face was all that I could see. _

_"I love you." He gave me the softest kiss. He even kept his eyes open, staring straight into my soul."Stay."_

I wiped away the tears that seeped from my eyes as I remembered that beautiful moment. After he had told me, I hadn't been able to hold my tears in. I had been such a mess of emotions. I was relieved to know how he truly felt, nervous for what would come and there was sadness mixed in as I had to leave. We had spoken a little after that, however, we hadn't been able to keep our hands off of each other. I had simply needed him and it seemed the feeling was mutual.

We had discussed that I still had to leave for a while and he had known that already. However, I now had plans to go back. I just didn't have a date to go back yet. I could now call Eric _mine_. Even if he was across an ocean from me, he was still my vampire. And I was his telepathic human.

"Hello?" I asked as I picked up my phone. I didn't bother to look at the caller identification as I was too busy staring at my computer screen.

"Hello, Lover." Eric's deep voice greeted me, quickly banishing my tears. His deep voice was exactly what I wanted to hear.

"Hey! How are you?" I pushed back from my little desk so that I wouldn't be tempted to change anything. Tina was curled up on my lap. She opened one beautiful green eye to stare up at me; there was annoyance as my movement had disturbed her.

"I am well. How are you? Is everything ready for this afternoon?" Later there was a small group of us leaving for Amelia's bachelorette long weekend. We were going to Greece to soak up the sun, sea and alcohol. The mixture was likely to be very dangerous for our heads. I had packed lots of Advil and was determined to hit the store as soon as we got there for a lot of bottled water.

"Yeah, everything's packed. I was just going over some final details actually. I think we're all set. What will you be doing for a few nights?" It was Thursday and we wouldn't be returning until Monday evening. I wasn't anticipating having much time or the cash to be able to call Eric. Not to mention there would be an even bigger time difference.

"I will be busying myself with work while you get to have all the fun." He told me in a monotone. If I could see his face I had a feeling he would be pulling puppy eyes so that I would feel sorry for him.

"It's a bachelorette party, Eric. Even if you were here you wouldn't be able to come with me. Besides, you love work and we both know it!" I set Tina on the floor and moved over to my bed so that I could lie down while talking.

"Hm. It seems you know me too well." In the background I heard a soft knock. "Go away, I am not to be disturbed."

"The new vampire still not working out well?" I asked.

"No. Great for their job in business, however they do not seem to understand my personal policies." He actually huffed. Eric had finally replaced the vampires that had been lost during his rescue from the Arkansas vampires. It had taken several months but he was finally back up to full power with the vampires in his Area.

"I'm sure he'll get used to it." I hoped my words were true or Eric would be forced to become even tougher. He might even have to find another replacement.

"Yes, well we will see about that. Now, have you spoken with your landlord?" Pain swept over me. Eric was not going to be happy.

"I'm stuck in my contract until the two years are up." When I had taken my apartment I had signed a two year lease. It had meant that my rent was slightly lower because it guaranteed the landlord an income for an extended time period. The landlord now wasn't allowing me out of my contract early. I understood, as I had signed the documents, and it was early. However, it was only a couple of months early and it put a further delay on my plans to move back home. Over the phone I heard Eric curse in Swedish, something he only did when he was seriously pissed.

"Sookie, just let me pay the remainder of your rent. He can release you from your contract then and he'll be able to lease your apartment too." His voice had dropped a few notes, relaying his anger.

"No, Eric. It'll help that situation, but I'm still stuck with the vampires as well. Me and my stupid contracts!" My anger rose too as I thought about all the arguments I had been having with the local vampires. The contract I had made them sign which protected me also tied me in to working for them. I was stuck in a city I didn't particularly want to be in anymore.

"I wish I still knew the King of London." We had been over this before too.

"Yes, but he's changed Eric. There's only so much you can do." He had tried petitioning the King to have me released from the contract. It hadn't worked. Eric just didn't have any jurisdiction over here. He was much more powerful than the King, and had about five hundred years on him too, but it wasn't enough. Even threats weren't working. With an ocean and thousands of miles separating the vampires, they just didn't feel the danger.

"I know. It is just that you are not fucking here, Sookie. You asked me to give you a reason to stay or come back. I gave you one. I give you one every fucking day and yet, you are still in London instead of by my side!" He didn't shout. His voice was low and even. It made the words even icier than if they had been yelled.

"I know. I want to be there, I do. I really do." Fresh tears sprung up. It was nearly six months after my trip home at Christmas and I still wasn't back. It hurt, physically and emotionally, to be so far away. "I wish I was there." My voice choked up.

"Shh. Do not cry." His voice had softened and there was a stronger accent to his words now. "I am not mad with you, Lover. I am mad with the situation."

"I know." I called Tina over to me from where she had been resting at the bottom of the bed. I didn't have my vampire with me to cuddle, so I used my cat as a substitute. As things went she was a poor substitute, but she was the only one I had and I did love her. Tina just wasn't my vampire.

"I hate feeling this way. I am over a thousand years old and yet, my power does nothing to help." I knew where he was coming from. Eric might not have been King of a state, but he was a powerful Sheriff. His power also gave him considerable reign to do as he wished, within reason. He was also used to getting his own way. "How did things go with the book club?" He sighed and I could just imagine him squeezing the bridge of his nose.

"It went well." A small smile actually escaped. One of the few things that had gone well was the book clubs. I had handed in my resignation without any problem. Amelia would take over my position at both places. "I officially have two less jobs now." A string had been cut that was holding me to London. Too bad it wasn't one of the important ones that needed to be severed.

"That is good."

"Yeah. Eric, will you do something for me?" I asked quietly. I glanced at the clock; I still had a good three hours before I had to leave to round up the girls so we would get to the airport on time.

"Anything, Lover." His voice was completely serious and I believed him.

"Talk to me? I need you."

"Of course."

I pulled my phone away from my ear and switched our standard phone call to the Face Time application. If we were just having a quick conversation we didn't usually bother with the video. We never knew for sure if the other would be busy unless we were on a scheduled call. A couple of seconds later, Eric's handsome face sprang into view, filling the screen. His blond hair was swept back. I could see the marks through it from his fingers; it had been pushed back through stress.

"Hello, Lover." I smiled at him, even blowing him a kiss. "När jag var i Grekland under de femton hundra ..."

I fell asleep listening to the soothing sound of his voice. It was a good job that I had set an alarm to to remind me thirty minutes before I needed to set off.

"I hate you, Sookie." Amelia growled at me the following morning. We had been up the majority of the night drinking cocktails in the hotel bar. I had a misty recollection of finishing off the night with a shot of ouzo.

"Urgh." I grumbled back. It was only then that I became aware of a high pitched ringing. Of course, as soon as I heard it, the noise felt like it was splitting my head in two. My hand slowly found my cell phone, which was resting on my bed side table. "What?" I moaned. My other hand was cupping my head against the pain. I had no idea what time it was as the blinds were pulled shut. The air conditioning unit was creting a gentle breeze across the room which helped me keep my nausea in check.

"I take it your first night in Greece went well." Eric's deep voice greeted me, yet I couldn't bring myself to smile. A smile required too much work. Instead I settled on a non commital grunt. "It seems you are taking the brunt of an alcohol fuelled night?"

"Yeah. I don't even remember everything we drank." I don't know how I actually made a whole sentence leave my mouth. It felt as dry as the Sahara and as though something had died inside my throat.

"Sookie, I swear to God, if you don't shut up, I will kill you." I couldn't face the pain of turning around to swat at Amelia; I was barely making any noise. Instead I rolled from the bed and staggered toward the kitchen. I knew I had left Tylenol out and there were fresh bottles of water in the refrigerator and freezer.

"Hold on." I put the phone down on the little table and went about trying to make myself feel somewhat human. I downed a bottle of water, saving enough to take my tablets and grabbed a bottle from the freezer. Holding it against my head eased the pain somewhat. After a few seconds I felt like I could at least think and my mouth wasn't as dry. "I'm back." I sat down and then slumped over the table. I needed some greasy food.

"You sound better now." I found the smile that had evaded me earlier.

"Good morning, Eric. Yeah, water, ice and Tylenol. How are you?"

"I am fine. You are not drinking the tap water are you? I hear that it is not safe to drink." I broke into another smile at his words. Hearing how much he cared made my heart ache for him.

"I'm being careful. The water here is actually okay to drink, in the hotel, but we're drinking bottled anyway."

"Be careful with the ice in your drinks too." I laughed before realising I wasn't ready for that much movement or noise.

"I will be. Don't worry. I love you, Eric. You know that, right?"

"Yes, Lover, I do and I love you." My heart melted when I heard the words, every single time. "Is Amelia having a good time? Is everything ready for the wedding?" I didn't know why he was so interested in the wedding, or Amelia since he hardly knew her, but in that moment I didn't question his motives.

"Yeah, she hates me at the moment, but last night she loved me. She will again once I've fed her a fry up. Everything is set for he wedding. When we get back, I have to call everyone to double check things and I'll be heading to the venue to help set everything up. Nothing I can do yet." I thought about the to-do list as long as my arm waiting for me when I got home. It was best not to dwell on it.

"I am sure she will love you again, how could she not? That is good about the wedding. What are you doing with your day?" I could imagine him reclining in his office chair, or lounging on the sofa at his appartment. Either way, I wouldn't mind being with him for some comfort.

"We're going to spend the day at the beach when everyone gets up and can function. What are you doing with your night?" The thought of the beach pushed some of my longing away. I loved the sun and heat and the beach. Perhaps if Eric could wait back at the hotel for me and I could greet him when he awoke after I'd spent the day in the sun? That would be a perfect day.

"My night is almost over."

"What? Really? What time is it?" The light in the kitchen was, thankfully, muted by the blinds.

"It is almost sunrise here and late morning there. How long were you asleep?"

"Not long enough with the time we got in. So, what did you do with your night?" So he wouldn't be behind his desk, perhaps he would even be lounging naked in his massive bed.

"I spent the night at Fangtasia, going over paperwork. Now, I am in bed." My guess had been right. "And wishing that I was not alone."

"I'll join you soon enough." I really didn't have a clue when, but I hoped it wouldn't be too long.

"I will hold you to that, Sookie Stackhouse." I could hear a mischevious edge to his voice.

"You better, Mister."

"I will leave you to your sunshine, I know how you enjoy it. Goodnight, Lover."

"Goodnight, Eric. I love you." I squeezed the phone tighter to my ear.

"I love you too."

That was how the batchelorette long weekend went. We stayed up late each night having fun and got up late in the morning to repeat the process. Our days were filled with beach trips, water sports and a spa day. There is little that is more relaxing than sipping a cocktail while sitting on a sun lounger, watching the sunset over the ocean. The days flew by and before I knew it, we were on the plane heading back to London. It was during the wait at the airport, when the other girls started talking about what was waiting for them at home, that I realised I no longer thought of London as home. Apparently the old addage about 'home is where the heart is' is very true.

"What are you thinking about?" Amelia asked softly so as not to wake the people around us.

"Home." I replied. She grinned at me. "What?"

"Just that you hold your necklace a lot these days, Sook." I glanced down and found that I was grasping the anchor necklace tightly. I hadn't even realised. "What's really on your mind?"

"No. You are getting married in three or four days, depending on which day we're on. You don't get to think about anything but yourself for a while." I wasn't going to bring down Amelia's mood and wedding excitement by pouring my complexities all over her. She'd already heard enough of my problems anyway.

"You may be my maid of honour, but I am the bride. I'm the boss. I say, until we touch down back in London, you can spill your guts!" Her tone was one that I recognised very well. It was the one that reminded me most of Pam. I couldn't say or do anything to change her mind and I knew she wouldn't accept my silence.

"Fine. But not a moment after that." She nodded. "I really was thinking about home. It just struck me that I don't think of London as home anymore. Which lead me to start thinking about Eric."

"Everything always does. Not that is necessarily a bad thing. I just don't want you to lose who you are just because you're in love." She laid her hand down gently on my tanned forearm.

"I know. I won't. You won't lose me, Ames. Even if I am across an ocean. You mean too much to me." I squeezed her hand with mine. "Anyway, I realised Louisiana is my home and probably always will be. I will never regret moving away for a while, the experiences I've had and the people I've met I would never change. I wouldn't be the same person if I'd just stayed in my home town all of my life. I need something more from my life than just being a waitress in the bar where I had my first legal and illegal drink.

Then there's Eric. I love him. I really do. I want to be with him, far more than email, texting and skype can offer me. I have to get back to Louisiana. It's taken me long enough as it is. It's just so frustrating how slow everything is." I growled out the last sentence. Going back to London meant that I could no longer ignore everything that I still had left to do.

"Well, at least after next weekend you won't have wedding stuff to sort out." She grinned at me, showing she was joking.

"There'll still be thank-you cards to send out. It's not that, I've really enjoyed helping you plan the wedding you deserve. I think it might actually be harder once the planning has stopped; there won't be anything to keep me busy, so I'll just be thinking about everything more. It's been over six months since I saw Eric and I know he is more infuriated by this than me. I'm beginnig to worry that he's going to get fed up with waiting. And I feel guilty, like all the time that this is taking is my own fault." Tears began to well up in my eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous. That vampire loves you, that is easy to see. He might be getting angry but I don't think he'd get fed up of waiting. Well, not in the sense that you think. He might come over here and kidnap you, or something and forcefully take you back to Louisiana. Simply letting go, that really isn't his style." I had to giggle at that image. Eric flying over to London to kidnap me was actually a possibility, knowing how annoyed Eric could get when he wanted something that wasn't easily obtainable. "Besides, he's immortal. What's a little time to him."

"He has a lot of time, but I don't." I still had a lot of time left, and I knew there would be some big decisions in my future. Far into my future hopefully. I was still young.

"You still have plenty. The main point stands; he loves you. If at any point you doubt that, just grab that necklace or think about your Christmas gift."

_"Okay, Tina, calm down. We're nearly there." I struggled along the corridor, trying desperately to not let Tina's crate scrape along the wall, again. Why I hadn't taken Amelia's offer to help me with my stuff was a highly stupid mistake. My fogged head had assumed that I would be able to manage my large suitcase, backpack, purse and Tina's create without any difficulties. "One more minute." I told my meowing cat as I placed her as gently as I could manage on the floor beside my door. There was a stack of envelopes outside the door. As I stooped down to pick them up, so that I would actually be able to walk through the door once I had it unlocked, I realised they weren't just envelopes. _

"_Jeez Louise," I mumbled as I let go of my suitcase handle. It thudded against the wall as it tumbled over. I ripped open the rectangular cardboard box with shaking hands and saw the edge of the photo album it contained. I didn't look any further. _

_I don't actually remember getting into my apartment. However, I must have unlocked the door and brought everything inside. The next thing I actually knew after opening that box was sitting on my sofa next to a disgruntled cat, whom I ignored completely. My hands were still shaking as I took out the album from the box. A sheet of crisp white paper fluttered down onto my lap. _

Sookie,

Since we cannot be together for the holidays, I thought we could be together in memories.

Merry Christmas, Lover.

Love,

Eric.

_It was Eric's elegant scrawl and I found my fingers tracing the letters as I read. This had been resting outside of my front door for the better part of two weeks and it contained the answer to the question that had been burning through my mind. He loved me. I already knew he did without reading it, he had professed it to me not twenty-four hours ago. If I had actually gotten this letter when I was supposed to have, there would have been no need for me to ask him to give me a reason. Eric never signed anything 'love'. It could only mean one thing. _

_I finally placed the letter aside, carefully on my coffee table and picked up the photo album for closer inspection. The cover was white with snowflakes colored in gloss silver decorating the cover. There was one word etched in the same silver elegantly written across the front – Memories. I didn't need to open up the book to know which photos it held. _

_Tears fell down my cheeks as I opened the first page to find that it was an old fashioned album. Little tags held the pictures in by their corners. The first photograph was me and Eric kissing, on the ice at Winter Wonderland all those weeks ago. My hands were resting on his chest while his gently held my face, his thumb stroking my cheek. _

_I picked up my phone and dialled without even glancing away from the photograph. As soon as I heard the phone connect, without waiting for his voice to say anything I blurted out what I couldn't hold in any longer. "I love you!" More tears slipped from my eyes and splashed down onto my jeans. I couldn't be bothered wiping them away. _

"_Well, I love you too. Although, I have to say Sookie, this is a rather odd way for you to express your feelings for me." Pam's voice greeted me and I could hear the grin in every word. _

"_Pam! What are you doing?"_

"_Annoying Eric. He left his phone on his desk while he heated us both some bottles of blood." _

"_Pam, give me the fucking phone." Eric's deep voice growled in the back-ground. _

"_It seems somebody's knickers are in a twist. Here's your lover boy." There was a brief second of near silence and then one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. _

"_Sookie." I couldn't help but grin._

"_Hi. I got your Christmas gift. I just wanted to say, I love you." I could barely see anything through the tears anymore. Tina crawled onto my lap, her tiny paws kneading into my stomach and chest. I hugged her close with one arm. _

"_I love you, too."_

Before I knew it, the weekend of the wedding arrived. The interim week had been filled with last minute plans, early morning phone calls to Eric and essentially annoying the local vampires. It was childish, yet I couldn't figure out much else to do while there was so much happening. I was hoping to annoy them so much they would finally just relent and let me go. Knowing how stubborn vampires were, it was an unlikely outcome.

Friday night saw me asleep in one of the most comfortable beds I had ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The bridal party were all staying in a hotel nearby to the majestic house where the wedding would take place. Amelia had taken up Eric's offer of providing the funds for wedding transport, so she was planning on arriving in style. Apparently, for us to arrive in style we couldn't just do a lap around the grounds in the car and pull up to where the wedding would be held. I couldn't complain as I'd had one of the best night's sleep in weeks. Sadly, I hadn't been able to get in touch with Eric. I couldn't tell whether it was because of him, or because my cell phone kept cutting off due to the poor reception.

"Sookie! Snap the fuck out of it and help me!" Amelia was a little stressed. The mimosas we'd started the day off with had helped, however that had been hours ago and as the clock ticked ever closer, she became worse. She refused another drink, wanting a clear head for the wedding.

"Okay." I carefully repositioned the laces on the back of her sleek, strapless gown. She was absolutely stunning and I couldn't wait to see Tray's face when he spotted her. Once he'd taken his eyes away from the car. "You sure you're okay?" I asked again, quietly.

Amelia turned around and snaked her arms around my waist. Her head rested very carefully on my shoulder so that she wouldn't smudge her make-up or muss up her hair.

"Yes. I know I've been Bridezilla this morning. I'm sorry, I'll apologise properly later because it's probably going to happen again. As I've already said, I'm not nervous for my marriage, I can't wait for that. I'm nervous for the wedding; I want everything to go perfectly and I'm only just realising quite how big this wedding is. I don't want to fall flat on my face while I walk toward my man." She grinned at me and I squeezed her around her tiny waist.

"Okay. Well, we better get going then. Miss Broadway, your carriage awaits." The other members of the bridal party walked ahead. I offered my arm out to Amelia and we walked together down the hallway and through the lobby of the hotel to the waiting vehicles.

The others were going to be arriving in Bentleys ahead of us in our Aston Martin soft top. Amelia hadn't really known much about the cars, neither had I honestly. She had known Tray's favourite make which is why we were arriving in an Aston. After a quick phone call to Eric for some pointers, we had settled on the cars.

It took a few minutes, with both me and the driver assisting to get Amelia and her dress safely in the car. Luckily, we also arranged her dress for a smooth exit at the wedding. I would get out first from my side and then there would be two people to make sure it all went without a problem. The beautiful Hertfordshire countryside went by slowly, so that we wouldn't mess up our hair.

"So I have my Gran's old earrings," she gently rubbed the small pearls that went impeccably with the small beads on the bodice of her dress. "They're old. My bracelet is brand spanking new. My garter, in a very cliché way is blue. And I borrowed your hair slide to help with my veil. Does that cover everything?" Her fingers were beginning to mess with the bouquet in her hand. I gently stilled them with my own before there were any floral fatalities.

"Yes. You're ready." We were already on the drive way and to our right, the small parking lot, mainly obscured by trees, held the cars of all the guests. I even managed to spy Tray's truck. "I'm so proud of you!" I gave my friend one last, careful, hug. Her strong arms returned the gesture yet she couldn't tear her eyes away from the wedding as it came into view.

Petals decorated the ground around the expanse of chairs that seated all of Amelia's friends and family. The chairs themselves were ornately designed white painted wood that I had helped her pick out. The aisle which she was about to walk down was also white. Everyone, at once, turned to look at us as the sound of the car's purring engine reached their ears. Smiles adorned every face as they got their first glimpse of the bride.

I kept my eyes on Tray, standing at the front of the small aisle beside his best man. His face was the epitome of happiness and pride as he gazed adoringly at his bride. I couldn't help but giggle softly as his jaw dropped when he finally realised what we were arriving in. His eyes cast an appreciative glance at the vehicle before returning quickly to his soon to be wife. His eyes were all for her.

In a moment of selfishness, darkness clouded my mind. I wanted my man here, to look at me like that. I wanted to join him down the aisle. Perhaps not quite yet to say the 'I Dos' , but at least for him to be here with me. I wanted to show him my dress. I wanted to see his reaction when he saw me all dolled up. I wanted to dance with him and smile at him.

It was the driver that broke me out of my spiralling thoughts as he opened my door to help me out. I quickly exited the vehicle and smoothly walked around to help Amelia out. As soon as she was standing safely at the start of the aisle I arranged her long train behind her.

"Thank- you," I whispered to the driver as he left us standing there. It was time. I turned to face my friend. "I love you." I kissed her cheek lightly, so as not to mark her skin with my lipstick.

"I love you, too." She grinned at me, for a second as she took in the scene before her.

Finally, I turned my back and walked down the aisle to join the other two bridesmaids standing at the front. A few people turned to watch me as I passed, but thankfully most stayed turned toward the bride. I grinned at Tray when I finally reached the front. He didn't see me. Once I was in my place, the music softly changed, to the song that Amelia had picked out. She wasn't a traditionalist, so it wasn't the wedding march. It was a piece by Einaudi. It suited her perfectly.

Pride welled in my heart as I took my best friend in. She seemed so wonderfully happy. When she reached the end, unaccompanied, she actually gave Tray a small kiss on his cheek. With clasped hands they turned to face the man leading the proceedings. He wasn't a man of the church, which was appropriate since Amelia always refused to class herself as one particular religion. I giggled to myself as Amelia turned, with blushing cheeks to hand me her bouquet.

The wedding itself was short and sweet. Yet, by half way through, I had tears in my eyes and by the time it came for their first kiss as a married couple, the tears were streaming down my cheeks. Mr and Mrs Dawson made their way back down the aisle, arm in arm with laughter bubbling from them both. The rest of the wedding party quickly followed.

Photographs shaped the next hour of my life, if not more. Every possibly combination of important people you could imagine. Repeats of the same but with a slightly different background, or a different order of people. It even got to the point where Amelia yelled at the photographer to knock it off so that she could go and make out with her new husband before she had to go mingle.

"Go!" I told them as the photographer continued to flap around. "I'll hold down the thought. Just don't let me catch you in a compromising position." I shooed them away, toward the main building of the stately house where the wedding guests were congregating. We had taken over the entire place, including the few rooms which could be used as hotel rooms for guests. "You have ten minutes!" I called after them, knowing that my previous warning wouldn't do any good. It had never stopped them before. "Guys, let's just walk away. There's cameras everywhere inside, they'll have plenty." So, with cheeky grins plastered across all of the wedding party, we simply sauntered away from the photographer.

The light snacks had been served by the time I got into the main room. A bank of windows made up one side of the room, letting the late afternoon sun light up the interior in beautiful hues. I grabbed a scone; the food being served was all very English indeed, and let the delicious flavours delight my taste buds.

"Would you like another?" Tray's best man, Alcide asked. He was already brandishing half a scone at me on a small china plate. His other hand was holding his own.

"Oh, no thank- you," I replied sweetly while trying to discreetly make sure there were no crumbs left on my lips. The dress I was wearing, with its tightly laced bodice didn't lend itself well for bloating. If I was going to be able to eat any of the meal later, I couldn't afford to eat much now.

"Suit yourself then." He combined the two plates which looked impossibly tiny his giant hands. "Did you enjoy the wedding?" We stood surveying the scene before us as all the guests mingled. The air was filled with gentle laughter and chattering.

"It was truly beautiful," I replied. Tears actually brimmed in my eyes again at the memory. "They deserve happiness."

"They certainly do. So, where's the beau of yours that I've heard about?" He asked and I got a flash from his mind. I'd always known that Alcide appreciated the way I looked and the few times we'd met before, we honestly had gotten along. It didn't take a telepath to know he had a bit of a thing for me. It did however, take my telepathic side to know that right now, it wasn't just idle curiosity that made him ask.

"He couldn't make it." I replied noncommittally, determined to not let my mind slip down the spiral into selfishness again.

"Ah, the sun, right." Surprisingly he didn't say it like it was anything bad, not to be able to stand the sun. It was more along the lines that he actually forgot. "He coming along later?"

"Nope, he couldn't make any of it. He's from Louisiana and still lives there." I knew I shouldn't have given away that little titbit of information as soon as the words left my mouth. When a brief wave of hope wafted from his mind, it was confirmed. "Anyway, I have to go get the happy couple. It's time for speeches and then actual food."

By the time I had managed to round up the happy couple, and convince them that they did indeed have to attend the rest of their wedding, an hour had passed. At least Alcide hadn't been lazy and had actually started corralling everyone into the dining area and to their assigned seats. The food was amazing in its simplicity, although I couldn't help having a craving for some good ol' Southern cooking. What helped the meal go by pleasantly was that I was seated next to Amelia, with another Bridesmaid on my other side. It was hard to feel anything but happy when Amelia's ecstatic emotion was wafting across to me. I did have to keep my shields locked down; knowing that she wanted to go off with her man and knowing what she wanted to do with him were completely different.

"Sookie?" I had been smiling down at my slice of vanilla cheesecake, like an idiot.

"Yeah?" I glanced up to find Amelia giggling at me. "Sorry, I was a million miles away." I placed the first fork full of the sweet desert into my mouth. It was almost as good as it looked.

"We were just saying, perhaps we should go to dinner when we get back from our honeymoon."

"That sounds great," I replied.

"It'd be our treat." Before I could say anything to that, she continued on. "We want to say thank- you for all you guys for helping us get the perfect wedding and by then, the photos should be available. You can help us chose the ones for in the wedding pack." A light blush tinged her cheeks.

"That still sounds great. Plus, we'll be able to help you go through all the blurs and people pulling moonies you're bound to get later." The little cameras on the tables would be both good and bad. At least they were pretty much guaranteed to be funny.

"Thanks." Amelia turned back to Tray and I turned back to my food. It was then that it hit me. All I could think to describe it was a weird feeling, almost as though I was forgetting something important. I had no idea what I could be forgetting so suddenly. I scanned the room, looking for anything that might trigger my memory to get into gear. Nothing was out of place, everyone was gathered around enjoying the food and company. A door at the back of the room, in the corner, softly shut.

"Speeches!" Alcide yelled out, actually making my heart leap in my chest. The brawny man was already standing, holding his beer bottle and tapping a spoon against its neck, just in case someone hadn't heard his yell.

"Quieten down!" Amelia hushed, already shaking her head.

"Not a chance." He said to just her before turning slightly to address the entire room. "I'll keep this pretty short. I've known Tray here a long ass time and we've definitely had our fair share of adventures." It was Tray's turn to blush, wondering what dirt Alcide was going to tell the room. Thankfully, I had actually seen a copy of his speech and knew it wasn't too bad. Actually, Amelia had made me sneak into his room and find it, so she could stop him if it was too much. My telepathy had definitely come in handy for that; all I'd needed to do was get him talking about the speeches and then go straight to where he had it written down.

"It's now time for me to pass on the gauntlet to the fair Amelia. No more single men painting the town red. Amelia will know how to keep him in check and get him to loosen up a little too. I just hope the lead is long enough for him to be allowed down to the pub a few times.

I wish the couple good luck for the future and a very happy honeymoon. Just don't forget the rule we had in uni; if the beds a rock- in', use a stockin'. We'll know not to bother you if there's under wear on the door!

To the happy couple, congratulations." He raised his bottle in the air. The room filled with the sound of 'cheers' and glasses clinking together.

Amelia's mortified face turned to me. "I thought you said it was clean!" Her words were angry, but I could see her lip quivering with the effort not to laugh. Whether it was from actual humour or embarrassment, I wasn't sure.

"Well, that was open to interpretation. It was clean for him and what's a Best Man's speech without a little bit of debauchery? I couldn't let you get off free after everything I've had to put up with around you two recently." I slipped my arm behind her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "If it's any consolation, I don't have anything like that in my speech." With that I stood up, carefully pushing my chair back so that I could move my dress.

"Thanks, Alcide. Now, if I could have y'alls attention now too. As you all know, I'm the maid of Honour. I'm happy to say that I've known the blushing bride for about eighteen months now. Through this quite short time, we have become best friends. Amelia, and Tray, have become my surrogate family on this side of the ocean and we're as thick as thieves.

The first time that I stayed at their house, after mine and Amelia's first girl date, we all shared quite the traumatic experience. I was supposed to be staying in the guest room but turned left instead of right. Cutting the story short, I walked into their bedroom where Tray just happened to be waiting for Amelia, in his birthday suit. Since that night, we have never kept anything from the other. I can also attest to the fact that Amelia is one lucky lady!" I glanced at my friend to see the blush colouring her cheeks. Her eyes glared at me, while she smiled. I grinned back, knowing she couldn't decide whether to be mortified, or find it hilarious.

"All joking aside, these two make the most beautiful couple I have ever had the pleasure to meet. They are selfless, and would do anything for their friends at the drop of a hat. They get each other like you wouldn't believe, something that comes not just from years together but from a deep, loving connection. I want to end my short toast with a massive congratulations. I hope you get many wonderful years together, doing what you both love and enjoying every minute of your future together. To life, happiness, love and the gorgeous couple!" I raised my glass as everyone gathered did the same. I gave Amelia's shoulder a squeeze.

"And now, it is time for their first dance as Mr and Mrs Dawson," I continued, before I lost everyone's attention. Music softly began to fill the room as the couple made their way to the dance floor. Everyone got to their feet to shuffle closer, eager to watch.

The nagging feeling that I'd had through dinner resurfaced as I watched Tray take Amelia's hand. Her gorgeous dress swirled around slightly as she turned. There was a sensation of something almost tugging at me. I ignored it as best as I could, paying more attention to my friends. The unique sound of Aerosmith filled the air as they began to move slowly to the beat, holding each other close. Against my will, my eyes began to tear up. I couldn't help it, they simply appeared so happy and in love. I couldn't help it that my mind was whisked across an ocean to think about my vampire.

"May I have this dance?" A deep voice whispered in my ear, just as a hand grazed across my waist. My answer was already on my lips as everything clicked into place. "Hello, Lover." The tears that had been welling up came tumbling down my cheeks as I spun around. I pulled my vampire closer, with my arms around his shoulders.

"Hi," was all I could muster. Questions were tearing through my mind, yet I couldn't figure out what to ask first. Instead I chose to just breathe him in. "Eric," I sighed as I relaxed into his arms. After a couple of seconds just basking in his presence, I pulled my head from his chest so that I could see his face. "You're really here." A hand went up to push his blond hair back, away from his eyes as I kissed his plump lips. The kiss was soft, gentle and not nearly enough.

"Yes, I am. Do you think you're going to believe me this time?" A small smile flickered across his lips as he teased me.

"Maybe," I replied with a quiet laugh, just before I leaned in for another soft kiss. The heels I was wearing meant that I didn't have to reach up too much. My fingers refused to let go of their grip on him. Around us, I became aware of a few people watching, their questioning minds filling mine. Immediately, I clamped my shields down tighter, using Eric's blankness for extra strength. Amelia and Tray had finished their first dance together and were now being joined on the dance floor.

"I was serious, Sookie. May I have this dance?" His dazzling blue eyes sparkled.

"Of course," I replied. My hands left their place at the nape of his neck so that I could hold his cool hand. He led me forward a few feet to where the dance floor started. Then, I was back in his arms as we swayed.

"You look beautiful," he whispered, so close that his cool breath tickled my ear.

"Thank- you." I placed a kiss on his chest. His skin was so striking against the black cotton of his shirt. "I have to ask."

"I was wondering when you would." I glanced up in time to see his cheeky smile.

"I am so very happy that you are here. I love you."

"I love you," he replied and my heart still melted even though I had heard those words from him regularly since New Year's. Having him here and saying them to me was something completely different.

"Why are you here?"

"I have come to bring you back home."

**So what did you think? Was that how you expected it to play out? Thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews, especially the guests since I can't respond to you. **

**There won't be an update for a few weeks as I'm going away to work at a rescue centre in Greece. Have a great weekend and hope nobody had any unfortunate Friday 13th mishaps. **

**LF91**


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own, the Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris**

"What?" I asked quietly as we came to a standstill. The couples around us continued to move, but luckily nobody paid us too much attention.

"Sookie." My heart rate picked up as he spoke my name and not my nickname. "It has been seven months since I gave you a reason to stay. However, you still left and have not been back since. We have not seen each other in seven months. You are no closer to leaving it appears than you were in January."

Guilt swept over me as I gazed up at him. His bright blue eyes were boring down into me, making me feel like I wasn't the telepath in our relationship. His hands continued to grip my waist, holding me close to his cool body. I could see the pain written on his face, pain that I had caused.

"Okay." It was all I could think of to stay. There was no point arguing. I wanted to move back to Louisiana, arguing would just cause a problem between us and make it more difficult to move. I had to swallow my pride. It didn't mean that actually moving would be easy.

"Okay?" His face had fallen into an expression of surprise. Or rather, it was as close to surprise as Eric could get. "I was expecting stubbornness and stamping feet." I glared at him for that comment. "You never back down on anything."

"Yes, but where would the surprise be in that?" I asked just before placing a feather light kiss to his lips. I was recalling what he had said to me in the past. "You relish the fact that a human can surprise you, and I always will."

"Yes, you will. So, you are willing to return to Louisiana with me?" I had never heard so much doubt in his voice.

"Yes." It was my turn to be surprised. His arms wrapped fully around me at the same time that he picked me up. Our lips collided with heat. I could feel the press of his fangs just behind the plump flesh. My legs spun around, my dress twirling as he turned us both.

He placed me back on the floor, his hands steadying me as my mind continued to spin. A giggle tumbled from my lips. My hands were still gripping onto his shirt. "I love you, Sookie Stackhouse."

"I love you, Eric Northman." We kissed again. This time we savoured the moment and I got to feel those fangs properly. My vampire was here. It didn't matter that we had other things to worry about and that getting me to Louisiana wouldn't necessarily be easy. In that moment it didn't matter. We were at my best friend's wedding and we would enjoy the night. "Come with me." I whispered as I became aware of people watching us. I pulled back, letting my hands fall until I simply held one of his hands so that I could lead him from the wedding reception.

Nobody seemed to pay much attention to our exit, at least, no one followed us outside. The hallway where I had initially being heading wasn't empty; people were wandering around and chilled were playing in peace. I turned right, Eric half a step behind me while he held my hand. We made it outside of the house into the relative coolness of the night. The air outside still held the remnants of the sun's warmth while the moon shone above.

"What wicked things are you thinking about?" Eric whispered in my ear as I came to a halt. I spun around to face him.

"Nothing that you won't agree with," I replied, smirking. I pushed him, with my hands on his pecs, against the building. He actually moved under my hands.

"I think I can definitely agree to this." I was pulled sharply into his strong body then. "You are beautiful," he told me sincerely, staring straight into my eyes. I thanked him with a soft kiss.

"I think it's time for me to say that I've can't believe you're here." He chuckled lightly while his fingers played with the lace that covered the bodice of my dress.

"Shut up and come here." He pulled me forcefully slightly closer, causing me to lose my balance. I ended up leant against him fully, his arms taking my weight. His lips met mine with a fiery kiss. His fangs were still protruding, I could feel there needle sharp points under my tongue. The copper hint of blood was sharp in the back of my throat. I had no idea who had been nicked, and I didn't care. There wasn't enough of it to care.

"Sookie?" I heard my name in the background, yet it didn't mean much to me. I continued to kiss my vampire, not wanting to do anything else. "Sookie!" Another shout. "Sookie, put him down this instant!" The yell came through both my ears and my mind, finally sinking in.

"What?" I asked slowly as I peeled myself back from Eric. He was shoved up against the wall looking like we had been doing a lot more than just kissing. Another button on his shirt had been opened, something I didn't remember doing, leaving more of his impressive chest on show. His hair was on the dishevelled side as well, now that I did remember messing up.

"What? You run away from my _wedding_ without an explanation and I find you outside necking with a vampire! Hello, Eric, by the way, nice to see you again. And thanks for the cars." Amelia barely glanced at Eric, her eyes were staring at me. She stepped forward, away from the light of the porch.

"He just turned up and I didn't think you'd miss me for a few minutes." Behind me I could feel Eric shaking slightly with silent laughter. I felt like a teenager having been caught with a boy in her room. Or rather, I felt like I imagined that was like.

"Sookie, you created a stir in there and then you disappear for nearly twenty minutes!" I really hadn't planned on being gone for that long. "I thought I'd lost you for the night. Perhaps that you'd even gone to go and get a room." Of course, Eric chose that moment to pipe up.

"Actually, that is quite a brilliant idea, Amelia." We both turned around to glare at him, which only made him shake harder. I nudged him in the ribs.

"Sorry, I didn't realise we'd caught that much attention."

"It's fine, I don't really care about that." She huffed. "Now, I need you to come and help me pee." With that she turned around on her heels, expecting me to follow.

"I'll come find you in a few minutes." I kissed my vampire's lips quickly, not daring to do anything more for fear of getting lost in the moment again. Luckily he didn't do anything more than let the hand that had been resting on my back, lower so that he could feel my ass. I ignored the movement and went dashing to catch up with Amelia.

I didn't meet her until the private bathroom for the bridal party's use. She was already leaning against the vanity table, her arms folded across her chest. I locked the door swiftly behind myself.

"That was priceless!" She giggled after a few seconds, breaking the silence.

"Did you know Eric was coming?" I asked, as I stepped toward her.

"I had my suspicions but I didn't actually know. He called me up just after we got back from Greece asking a few questions about you. I didn't pay it much attention." I helped her with her dress and only after we'd got through the awkward situation did we resume our conversation. "By the way, what the hell did he do to you?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, having no idea what she was talking about. My hand went up to feel the lower half of my face. Eric's chin was covered in a little more stubble than normal, yet my face didn't feel hot to the touch. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed that I had avoided stubble burn, so far.

"Your dress." Amelia was back to huffing as she made me spin around. Her nimble hands made quick work of putting my dress back to how it was. The black lace that overlaid the matte satin of the dress had been upturned slightly at the edge, where it ended at my lower back. The zipper had also been pulled down a couple of inches. I was lucky not to have had the dress fall down on me. I wasn't entirely sure how I hadn't noticed it previously. "That's better." I smoothed down the front of the sapphire satin myself. "Do I need any touch ups?"

"You're perfect." I replied, telling the truth. Her hair was still in place and so far there wasn't a single thing marring her dress.

"Good. Now, I'm going to get back to my wedding party. Me and Tray will be retiring to our room soon and I want to make the most of being able to make him dance." She grinned cheekily, her eyes glinting with mischief. "You aren't allowed to disappear again. I don't care what you do after you're gone. Just try and keep your hands in respectable places until later." We both laughed at that, knowing that I had been saying similar things to her only a couple of hours ago.

"Okay, okay. Let's get back out there. I hate to think what the guys will be up to unattended."

We exited the restroom, Amelia leading the way. We didn't have far to go until we got some answers. Through some open double doors into the main room we could see Tray at the bar, downing a pint with Alcide while they shared a laugh. Amelia went on ahead, likely to tell Tray to calm down his drinking. Eric was leaning casually against a wall a few metres away.

I took the time as I walked to take him in. He was dressed in jet black jeans that I knew would hug his ass perfectly and a matching black dress shirt, open low at his neck. The hair that I loved so much was gelled back. It was also back in place after I had mussed it up. He looked perfectly content leaning against the wall, ankles crossed and one hand in his pocket.

"Hey," I greeted him.

"Hello, Lover." He pulled me into a tight hug, his hands once again dropping low. "Do you think this is respectable enough?" I slapped his chest lightly.

"Just exactly, how much of that did you hear?"

"The end part. How we are supposed to stay respectable and not leave until after they do." His hands stayed moved slightly higher, to my lower back. However, he bent down so that he could bury his nose in my curled hair and kiss down my neck. "I think I may be able to keep to her wishes."

"I don't think this is entirely what she meant, Eric." Even as my words almost chastised his movements, my head turned to the side, exposing more of my neck to his lips. "We should probably rejoin the party. Kids were playing out here earlier too."

"If you say so. I have a question." I took the time it took him to speak to step away slightly. Distance would be the key to surviving a few hours so close together without being alone for a couple of hours.

"What's up?" I gently pulled one of his hands away from my back and held it.

"Do you have your own room here? I was unable to make reservations in this establishment and had to _settle_ for a bed and breakfast down the street."

"Yes, I do. Now come on, or Amelia will come looking for us again." I tugged on his hand slightly, finally getting him to move away from the wall. "Where is all of your stuff?" Although Eric was content with simple things, it wasn't like him to turn up with nothing.

"At the bed and breakfast. I can collect everything tomorrow night."

I braced myself as we entered the room that was still heaving with people having a good time. Cameras flashed as people danced and children played. Women were starting to dance without their high heels and men had finally taken off their bow ties and jackets. I pulled Eric in the direction of the bar where Amelia was still standing with Tray and Alcide.

"I was just about to come and drag you back in here," Amelia stated by way of a greeting. I shot Eric a 'I told you so' glance.

"We're here now, don't worry. Right. Tray, this is Eric. Eric, this is Amelia's new husband Tray." The two of them had never actually met although I was sure they'd both heard lots about the other. They shook hands swiftly, and I had to smile my appreciation at Eric for conforming slightly to the English greeting. Eric wasn't a big fan of contact with humans or vampires. I appeared to be the major exception. I then turned to Alcide who appeared slightly surprised. "And this is Alcide, the best man. Alcide, this is my," I paused slightly, not entirely sure what to call Eric. "My Eric." I finally settled with. Alcide extended his arm out and I couldn't help noticing that his shirt sleeve was pushed up, showing off the fine play of muscles in his deeply tanned forearm. As soon as Eric's cold hand was in his I saw those muscles tense. I barely managed to keep my laugh contained at the thought of him trying to show off. It was so completely pointless.

"How you doin'." Alcide said as he pulled his arm back, stretching out his fingers a few times.

"Would you like a drink, Lover?" Eric asked as he stepped up the bar.

"My usual please," I replied. "Do they even sell blood here?" I hadn't noticed any when I had been to the bar earlier, although I hadn't really been checking. A moment later we had our answer as the bar tender placed a bottle of Life Flow in front of Eric alongside my gin and tonic.

"Only this," Eric replied with distaste. I had always known that he didn't enjoy drinking synthetic blood, much preferring human blood. However, he could and would drink it when situations called for it. His favourite brand was also True Blood. He was lucky the place sold any kind. Eric handed me my drink and returned to his position by my side, his arm slung casually around my shoulders.

"You're a vampire?" Alcide spluttered, staring at the bottled blood that Eric had just taken a sip from. Three sets of eyes turned to Alcide, staring in disbelief.

"Yes," Eric replied, amusement clear on his face. He took another, slow chug of his drink as if to prove his point. When he was finished he even smiled at the best man, his teeth stained slightly with pink. His fangs were out again.

"How didn't you know, man?" Tray asked. "I know you've never met, but really?"

"I guess I never put it together. Besides, you guys never said it!" With that Alcide picked up his pint and wandered away, his tail between his legs.

"Men." Amelia gruffly stated. "When did you get here Eric?"

"I landed at dusk but then I had to drive here. Did you have a pleasant wedding?"

"So far yes, it's been amazing. Right, Tray, let's dance. I love this song." The happy couple disappeared into the crowd, heading toward the dance floor leaving us alone.

"Would you like to dance as well?" Eric asked.

"In a few minutes." I rested my head against his shoulder. His delicious scent enveloped me.

"Did you get the tan from only a few days in Greece?" His eyes were travelling across my bare shoulders.

"Yes. I'm a true Southern Girl, it doesn't take much for my tan to come back." He bent down against and breathed in deeply, his nose lightly touching my skin.

"You still smell of the sun and the ocean. Delicious." His tongue darted out to lick my skin quickly. "Delectable." He placed a soft kiss against the same spot.

"We still can't disappear." I told him regretfully, wanting nothing more than to build on that kiss.

"I know. However, the anticipation can be part of the fun." He placed another kiss, this time just behind my ear. "I love how you react to even the lightest touch." The tips of his fingers ghosted along my shoulder blades. "I can hear your heart gallop in your chest and your breath catch in your throat."

"Can I evoke the same reaction from you?" I queried aloud as I turned to face him more. In my heels my lips were level with the unbuttoned part of his shirt. I leaned in slowly until I was almost touching his skin. I released my breath slowly, sending out the warm air against his cool flesh. My hands danced up his sides, my fingers tracing each defined muscle. I kissed his chest, keeping my eyes open and staring up into his face. His eyes shut lightly and a single drop of blood escaped from his lip where a fang had pierced the skin. I rose up to kiss the blood from his mouth.

"Yes," he replied in answer to my question.

"Good, now let's dance." I turned around swiftly, sending the skirt of my dress twirling. I didn't glance behind me to see if Eric was following me. It was only as I reached the dance floor and I was roughly twisted around into Eric's arms that I knew for sure he had followed. With my body pressed against his, I could feel exactly how I affected him.

"You do not walk away after _that._" One hand gripped my chin, keeping my face upturned as soft lips crashed into mine.

"Well, I had to prove that I could still effect you," I replied through my smirk.

"It didn't need to be proven." This time his words were accompanied by a small growl that I could feel through his chest.

"Maybe, but I had fun doing it. I think you did too." I stepped in closer, resting my head against his chest and holding him tight. "Now, I am just going to enjoy this."

"Okay, Lover." I felt him kiss my temple before resting his head on the top of my head.

That was how we stayed for the next couple of hours. I didn't care what we danced to, most of the time I wasn't paying any attention anyway. All I cared about was no longer missing my man. I had him with me, in my arms and we were happy. For one glorious part of one wonderful evening we were happy. Real life didn't come into it, we had issues to face but I didn't let them cloud my mind. The only thing that stopped us was my feet hurting. It got to the point where I couldn't put it out of my mind any longer and I had to slip my heels off.

"I love this," I whispered quietly. My eyes were gently closed, cutting off as much of our surroundings as possibly. Eric's still and silent chest was pressed against my ear.

"Hmm?" He hummed in return, continuing to keep us swaying to the slow beat of the song.

"This. Us two being together."

"Then come back with me." We came to a standstill, still holding each other.

"I will. Just don't spoil this moment with reality. Give me this time." I buried my nose into his chest and placed a gentle kiss onto a bare patch of skin. Under my touch I felt his heart starting to beat in time with my own. He didn't say a word; instead he squeezed me a little tighter and moved us both to the beat.

"If everyone can gather around, the bride and groom are leaving," the DJ announced over the speaker system. I placed another kiss on Eric's chest and then finally pulled away. The cheek that had been pressed against him was cold and my fingers were tingling.

"Come on, Lover." Eric took my hand in his and pulled me over to the doors where the newlyweds would be leaving. He even paused to pick up my shoes, carrying them in his spare hand.

We gathered around with the rest of the wedding guests in a small semi circle around the double doors that lead to the patio. It was the same patio next to which Amelia had caught us earlier. We were standing at the front, next to the door frame. Eric was behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist so that his hands could rest on my hips. He really wasn't intending on letting me go.

"Okay, thanks to everyone for coming today. I had a fantastic day! Now, we're going to go and hopefully we won't see you all for breakfast. Let's see who is going to be the next bride!" With those last words, Amelia still looking beautiful, turned around so that her back was to the gathered crowd. "Good luck!" She let her bouquet go, with a sharp fling over her shoulder. I watched as it fell through the air, knowing that even if I was the one to catch it, I definitely wouldn't be the one to get married next. It was doubtful I would ever walk down an aisle in a gorgeous white dress to my man standing at the altar. It didn't bother me like it would have done a few years ago; I didn't need a wedding to be happy.

The scrabble in the end was won by one of Amelia's younger cousins. Her smile lit her face up like a light bulb and the first thing she did was turn to her boyfriend in the crowd, arms outstretched.

Amelia and Tray disappeared into the darkness of the night and to their waiting car. Only a few people knew that they were only going to be driving around the house before going in the back to get to the bridal suite. As soon as the headlights disappeared from their car, everyone began to disperse. Some people headed back into the reception room, some headed toward the stairs for their rooms while some even went to the parking lot to leave.

"They made a good choice on the cars." Eric stated quietly as we remained standing off to one side while people moved around.

"You helped."

"Yes, however Amelia still made the final decision herself."

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day where you were slightly humble about something." I felt and heard his chuckle. "Right, we are officially allowed to do what the hell we want. Would you like to see my room?" I turned in time to see the cheeky smile grace his face.

"Are you sure you can't read _my_ mind?" I slapped his chest lightly and turned away, letting him follow me.

"I don't need to be a telepath to read your mind right now." My bedroom door was safely locked behind us only two minutes afterward. "I am exhausted." I sighed out as I leant against the door.

"How exhausted are you suggesting?" Eric was, somehow smoothly, sliding off his shoes.

"Don't worry, handsome. It's been seven months for me, too. Now, come here." I held my arms open for him. He stalked toward me slowly, his eyes taking in everything.

As soon as his hands were on me there was a frantic entangling of our bodies. My back hit the door with a thud, and only Eric's hand behind my head stopped my skull from smashing into the wood too. Without thinking, my legs wrapped around Eric's waist, my dress ended up bunched up on my thighs. All I could think about was Eric. I wanted him closer.

Eric's hands reached behind my back when I arched into him. His nimble fingers made quick work of the zipper of my dress. As soon as there was room, I pulled my dress down, revealing my breasts. I had foregone a bra due to how tight my dress was, and I was glad I had made that decision. The growl that roared from Eric's chest told me that he appreciated the decision as well.

"How attached to this dress are you?" He asked as he sucked a mound of my flesh into his mouth. I would definitely end up bruising.

"You can't destroy it," I managed to mumble out around a moan.

"Fine," he growled out, frustrated. "Legs down." He pushed my legs down, unhooking them from around his waist. As soon as my legs were down the dress slid to the floor, where it landed in a pool.

"Not fair." I told him, even as I wrapped my legs back around his hips.

"What?" He asked, his voice deliciously deep.

"You're still dressed." I kissed the smirk off his face. My hands worked on unbuttoning his shirt until I gave up and simply tore his shirt open. "And you're still in your pants." Before I got a chance to unfasten the buttons on his jeans, his hands had already done the job.

"Better?" He asked just as his lips captured mine again. Our tongues danced together, teasing as toyed with the sharp points of his fangs.

"Almost." I pushed his jeans down, just enough.

Our foreheads clashed together as we stared at each other. There would be time to savour each other later, for now it was simply a need to be connected again. I didn't have to say another word. Eric thrust powerfully into me, pushing my back up against the door. Eric's face was like nothing I had seen before. His eyes were darker than ever, yet sparkling with desire. His expression one of pure passion, the kind you can only have for the one you love.

My eyes slid shut and my head lolled back. "Fuck," I sighed, not finding any other word to convey everything that I was feeling and needing. I opened my eyes just in time to see Eric bite into his lip. I had no idea whether he had actually intended to break skin or whether he was just caught up in the moment. I didn't care. I pulled his head toward mine and kissed him. I was pinned against the door, and each second, each bruising thrust sent me closer to oblivion. I'd be damned if I wasn't going to take my man with me.

I pulled his bottom lip between my teeth, letting them sink in slightly, yet not quite enough to break the skin further. His previous cut had almost healed over but, as I sucked his lip I was able to draw out one final drop. The sharp metalic taste hit my tongue. I savoured the taste for what it meant. Surrounding my body I could feel Eric almost quivering.

"Bite me." I turned my head to the side slightly, exposing more of my neck. He didn't hesitate. I got a glimpse of sharp white teeth, his lips pulled back and then oblivion.

"Fuck," I repeated. My head lolling back this time for entirely different reasons. One of Eric's hands had moved so that my head wouldn't hit the wood. My legs were still wrapped around his hips which was good, considering I could barely feel them, let alone move them.

"That sums it up," Eric replied, his voice still gloriously deep. "Are you okay?" He asked softly between kisses placed over the small puncture wounds on my neck. His free hand gently roamed my body, almost as if he was doing it subconsciously, checking for himself that I was okay.

"Really?" I asked, opening one eye to gaze at him. I still didn't lift my head. My heart was still hammering away and my breaths were coming in gasps, even after standing there simply holding each other for a couple of minutes.

"Okay." A small, cheeky smile graced his lips. "Shower?"

"Shower." A shower sounded wonderful. It would help to wash away my forming bruises and the aches from the day, not to mention the sticky situation we had create.

"Okay, Lover. Arms up." I didn't know why he was asking me, but I couldn't find enough motivation to actually question him. Instead I simply raised my arms straight up above my head. Then, quick as a cat, he stepped back slightly so that the only thing holding me up was a hand on my lower back. The dress was whipped up and over my head, finally leaving me naked. Next he prised my legs from around his hips and manoeuvred me until he was carrying me bridal style. I had no idea when he got rid of the remainder of his clothes, but by the time he placed me, standing, under the spray of the hot water, they were gone.

The water felt magnificent against my skin and knotting muscles. As water cascaded down over my body, Eric began to softly massage shower cream onto my body. His magic fingers eased away any remaining tension and kept any pain at bay.

"Thank- you for coming, Eric." I told him sincerely. I was leaning back into his chest while he skilfully massaged one of my arms.

"Surely it should be me thanking you for that, Lover." I didn't have to see him to know that he was smirking. I lightly tapped his cheek, the most I could muster in the way of a lightly chastising smack. "Well, my patience has limits. I admit now, that if you do not come back with me soon I will kidnap you." I giggled at the thought. I could just picture him throwing me over one of his shoulders and marching me to an airport. He'd probably even throw in a good ass grope for good measure.

"Is it possible to kidnap the willing?" I retorted, earning myself a kiss on the head.

"I am not sure. I am willing to find out."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Now, I think I am squeaky clean and definitely ready for bed." I stepped away from his chest and toward the shower door. I glanced back over my shoulder. "Care to join me, Mr Northman?"

I take back what I said about Friday night. The bed which I had considered luxurious was actually infinitely better when I had my vampire to snuggle up to. It wasn't really until after the sun had risen that I was able to attest to how comfortable it was to sleep in. By the time that I actually crawled out of bed, smiling as I recognised my aches and pains, I was starving and I had missed breakfast. Hell, I'd missed lunch. I took another quick shower, found some clean clothes from my suitcase and then went in search of food.

It was a complement to the level of customer service at the hotel that when I turned up at the small restaurant between set meal times that I was actually served. I ended up ordering pancakes of both savoury and sweet varieties to sate my appetite. Once I'd finished eating, I only had a couple of hours before dusk. I scampered over to the hotel Eric had been forced to check into using Tray's car. Since I'd performed a little bit of robbery and borrowed Eric's wallet I was able to show some identification and check him out of his room. Everything had already been paid for and there were no extra charges considering he hadn't used the room except to place his things. It turned out he was actually checked in there for another couple of nights, probably just in case something cropped up. After telling the clerk that it was fine and I didn't need a refund on the room several times, I finally got out of there and back to my own hotel.

I managed to crawl back into bed just in time for Eric to wake up. I knew exactly when he woke. Although I couldn't read his mind, there was something about our connection that let me know precisely when he was there. He didn't open his eyes. Instead his wandering hands clasped my hips and moved up my back until he was giving me a massive hug.

"Can't breathe," I squeaked out around a laugh. His arms relaxed just enough for me to breathe normally.

"Good evening, Lover." His eyes finally opened.

"Hi." I placed a soft kiss on his bare chest.

"Did you have a pleasant day?" We rolled over onto our sides, facing each other with our legs intertwined.

"I didn't have much of a day, really." When I saw his confused expression I explained further. "I slept most of it away since we were up all night. I went by your hotel room and got your stuff." I waved in the general direction that I'd put his small bag.

"Thank- you." He reached behind and grabbed his cell phone from the nightstand. "Ah." I glanced at the screen which was showing several missed calls and some text messages. "It seems Pam is curious as to what has happened." He pressed several buttons and a list of all the missed calls came up, each one from Pam. The texts came next, each one getting progressively more irate. He locked the phone and discarded it again. "She will be asleep. I take care of her later."

"Question for you."

"Hmm?" He seemed preoccupied burying his nose into my hair.

"When did you decide to fly out here? Because, Amelia said something on the plane back from Greece that it would be your style to fly out and kidnap me." I felt rather than heard him chuckle.

"It seems Amelia knows me better than we would have thought. It was an impulsive decision. I was bored a couple of nights ago at the bar. I went on the Anubis website and booked a flight for the next night." I had a feeling I knew why Pam had been trying to get in touch with him so incessantly.

"And what did you happen to tell Pam about this impulsive jaunt across the pond?" One of my favourite cheeky grins crossed his face.

"She was not working the night I booked the flight so I called her from the airport to tell her I was going to London for a while." His grin stretched out, lighting up his face.

"And you wonder why she's trying to figure out what the hell is going on." I made a mental note to call Pam as soon as it was dusk in Louisiana. It was that reminder that we couldn't live in our little bubble that made me start asking the questions about his plan. "So, I'm coming home with you."

"Yes." There was no arguing.

"How?"

"I will continue to pay rent to your landlord, plus a sum to cover for inconveniences, until a new tenant is found. Tomorrow night I have a meeting with the King of London. He will discover exactly how convincing I can be." I didn't believe it would be quite that simple. Nothing was ever simple when it came to vampires.

"Just exactly how do you plan on doing that?" I quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I can be quite charming."

"Yes, I am aware of that. Now, let's not get distracted. I'm not having you paying my rent for me. If I was willing to let you do that, we could have done this awhile ago." I would have folded my arms across my chest if I could, given my current position I settled on pouting.

"You can pay me back, overtime, if you wish." It didn't escape my notice that a small smile flickered across his lips and his eyes sparkled. He was up to something.

"Fine. But I will pay you back every penny." I would have to keep tabs on him, or he would try and weasel his way out of the deal.

"For tonight, we should head back into the city and sort out your possessions." The thought of moving from the bed didn't exactly appeal to me, however I knew we would have to start working on his plan. I may have a small apartment, but I had a lot of stuff. Not to mention everyone that I would have to say goodbye.

"Fine." Instead of actually moving, I rested my head on his chest.

"You are wearing my necklace." I glanced up at him, slightly confused by his statement. Of course I was wearing his necklace.

"Yeah, why?" I gripped the little anchor between my thumb and finger. I doubt he would ever quite know just how much it meant to me when he left me his necklace.

"I did not know that you still wore it." He brushed my hair back over my shoulders.

"Of course I do. I don't normally take it off. You saw me wearing it at Christmas." I stared up at him. The soft smile on his face made my heart melt.

"Yes, but that was merely a month after I had given it to you. I also did not see you wearing it last night." Ah. He had thought I had stopped wearing it. I kissed his bare chest and snuggled a little closer.

"That was only because Amelia wouldn't let me wear it. It was safely tucked away in bag. I put it on as soon as I woke up this morning. I'll always wear it. It means a hell of a lot to me." This time I reached up and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"You have no idea quite how much I wish we could stay in this bed all night." His hands cupped my head, holding me in place as he kissed me again. I could feel the hard press of his fangs. Desire flooded through me and I knew he would instantly be able to tell.

"I might have a general idea," I giggled in reply, letting my hands wander down his body.

"Maybe. However, we really do need to get up."

"Oh, I thought you were already up." I actually managed to keep a straight face.

"God, woman. You are almost as bad as me. It seems I have been a bad influence on you." He nipped at my skin, not quite enough to cause any damage.

"Yes. Don't you just love it?" I rolled away swiftly, before he had a chance to hold me tightly in place.

"Not when we do not have the option to stay here." He caught me with an arm around my waist just as I was about to roll off the bed. "Come here." He pulled me back into his chest. His large body enveloped mine as he placed kisses on my neck, holding me tight. I laughed, struggling weakly. I didn't really want to get away. "Hmm." He growled. "Let us leave this as a promise for later." With that we kissed once more, harsh and fast. Then he was gone. I rolled over just in time to see his perfect ass as he walked toward his bag.

**So what did you think? Was it worth the wait? Wait until you guys read the next one. I think you might hate me. **

**Sorry about the long break, I've been away and then busy with the NFL game in London. Suffice to say it was a very busy time and I have exams starting in about 6 weeks. **

**See you all next week, **

**LF91 **

**x**


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